Roundup: Libyans support eastern-based army to take over country to end political division

TRIPOLI, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Demonstrators in several Libyan cities on Sunday demanded the eastern-based army to take over the country to end the years-long political division since the uprising that toppled former leader Gaddafi in 2011.

They urged the eastern-based army commander General Khalifa Haftar to take over the country instead of all the existing political factions. They also expressed support for army and police forces to end the rule of militias in Libya.

"The Libyans are fed up with the lies of dual national politicians. Those (politicians) appear in media and declare to defend the rights of the people, while they are the biggest thieves. They collude with the Western countries, who thirst for our country's rich natural resources," Khalid Al-Henshir, one of the demonstrators in the capital Tripoli, told Xinhua.

"We have participated today in a demonstration to support the army, because we only trust the military command to save us from the bitter reality we suffer daily, with no signs of the state and its security institutions," Al-Henshir added.

Retired policeman Mohammed Ajaj believed that demonstrating is "the last chance to save the country from international conspiracies and everyone should participate in it."

The demonstrators also demanded that all current political bodies, including the eastern-based House of Representatives, the Tripoli-based Higher Council of State, and the UN-backed government, to leave. They accused them of "implementing Western schemes to control Libya's resources and keep it in constant chaos."

However, gun firing of unknown sources was heard at the scene, sparking fear and forcing demonstrators to leave immediately. No casualties were reported so far.

Khalid Turjuman, chairman of the Libyan National Action Group, believed that the demonstration is a positive sign that the Libyan people "will not tolerate the agendas of politicians and parties, but rather they feel the importance of the army in ensuring the stability of the country and in coping with terrorism and corruption."

"Our brothers in western Libya must come out and announce their position to support the army and mandate it to take over the country. They must follow the example of their brothers in the east when the core of the army was first formed more than three years ago with the help of young people who gave their lives in battles against terrorism, especially in Benghazi," Turjuman told Xinhua.

"The next year will be the year of the Libyan army, which already has control over the country. It will be a year for the conclusion of its war against terrorists and the Islamist movement that support those terrorists. Therefore, we will witness a wide public support for the army," Turjuman added.

The protests took place a few hours after General Haftar said in a televised speech that the UN-sponsored political agreement is "expired," warning against a "future dangerous stage" for the country.

"As of December 17, 2017, the so-called political agreement expires. Therefore, all bodies resulted from this agreement automatically lost their legitimacy, which is questioned since day one," Haftar said.

Haftar noted that all UN-sponsored dialogues held by Libyan political factions so far are "useless" as they failed to provide any guarantees "leading to a comprehensive and just solution."

He also vowed that he is committed to protecting and defending Libyans and the country's institutions "to the last soldier in our ranks."

Libyan political analyst, Emad Jalul, said there is difficulty of popular mandate for the army to take over the country, for legal considerations linked to the balance of power on the ground.

"The chance of the army taking the initiative and trying to create conditions for transparent and fair elections, despite its significance, will face legal variables and obstacles because the situation in Libya is complex. There are militias that control the west of the country. There is also the city of Misurata, one of the largest armed cities of Libya divided over General Haftar and his command of the army. Therefore, conditions are not favorable for the success of such demands," Jalul explained.

Libyan political parties on December 17, 2015 signed a UN-sponsored peace agreement that aims at ending the political division in the country.

Under the deal, the Government of National Accord was appointed, but the country has remained in a political crisis amid insecurity and chaos.

Ghassan Salame, head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, on Sunday urged Libyan political parties to "refrain from any actions that could undermine the political process."

Salame proposed an action plan for Libya in September that included amendment of the current UN-sponsored political agreement, holding a UN-sponsored national conference for all Libya's political factions, adopting a constitution, and finally electing a president and a parliament. Enditem