The head of the Supreme Council of State in Libya, Mohamed Takala, suspended his participation in the next round of dialogues on the Libyan crisis, held under the auspices of the Arab League in Cairo.
The suspension of Takala’s participation came in response to the House of Representatives’ approval of the draft budget law without prior consultation with the Supreme Council of State, thus violating the terms of the political agreement concluded between the parties.
In his statement, which he published on the Facebook platform, Takala expressed his objection to the measures taken by the House of Representatives, noting that this action contradicts the principles of the political agreement signed in Skhirat, Morocco, which obliges both parties to consult before making decisive decisions.
Takala also confirmed in an official letter addressed to Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, that this step would hinder progress in future dialogues, expressing his disappointment at the unwillingness of some parties to reach a comprehensive settlement.
Takala pointed out that the continuation of these actions on the part of the House of Representatives leads to the consumption of time and maneuvering instead of seeking to achieve radical solutions to the crisis, which prompted him to decide to suspend participation in the dialogues until the outstanding issues are resolved, most notably the draft budget law.
In a related context, the Libyan House of Representatives discussed the budget law in a session held last Wednesday, and approved it the next day, which sparked tensions between the various political parties.
The Skhirat Agreement, signed on December 17, 2015, is the basic reference for all currently existing Libyan institutions. It agreed to form a national unity government and establish two legislative councils: the House of Representatives in June 2014, headquartered in Tobruk, and the Supreme Council of State.
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