Libyan lawmakers to rejoin parliament after boycott: UN

Libyan lawmakers have agreed to rejoin the House of Representatives after boycott, the United Nations said on Friday.

More than 25 Libyan lawmakers had been boycotting the House of Representatives (HoR) since conflict broke out more than a year ago between two powerful factions who have created rival governments and parliaments.

Bernardino Leon, head of the UN Support Mission to Libya (UNSMIL), described the agreement as "historic" and "the most important good news that our dialogue has produced so far."

He pointed out that this deal is part of the UN-brokered political agreement, which requires that the two groups reach an agreement that guarantees plurality and principles of inclusion, balance and consensus in the elected Tobruk-based parliament.

On the Libyan political dialogue, Leon stressed that the rival parties still have to reach a final agreement on the other issues, revealing that the UN is expecting a delegation from the Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC) to join the talks later on Friday.

He noted that he hopes to finalize the political agreement by Sunday.

The UN-brokered political agreement was initialed in July by the Tubrok-based parliament alongside representatives of political parties, municipalities and civil society groups, whereas the GNC did not join the accord.

Libya, a major oil producer in North Africa, has been witnessing a frayed political process after leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled during the 2011 political turmoil.

The country is now deadlocked in a dogfight between the pro-secular army and Islamist militants, which has led to a security vacuum for homegrown extremism to brew.

The UNSMIL has sponsored several political dialogues between the country's political rivals for months in order to end the country's ongoing crisis. Endit