Libyan Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed al-Menfi and High Council of State President Mohamed Takala discussed on Sunday ways to advance the country’s political process and end its prolonged transitional phases.
The talks marked their first meeting since Takala was reelected on Wednesday to lead the High Council of State for a fourth one-year term, according to a statement by the Presidential Council.
The meeting addressed efforts to reach a “comprehensive, consensual settlement that would bring all transitional phases to an end and complete national entitlements in a way that fulfills the Libyan people’s aspirations for security, stability and development,” the statement said.
The two officials also reviewed the latest political, economic and security developments and stressed the importance of continued coordination among national institutions and intensified efforts to promote stability and prioritise the national interest.
The council reelected Takala on Wednesday after he received 80 votes against 56 for his rival, Abu al-Qasim Qazit, in the second round of voting.
Al-Menfi and Takala both head institutions affiliated with Libya’s western-based authorities.
Libya remains divided between two competing governments: the internationally recognised Government of National Unity, headed by Dbeibah and based in Tripoli, which administers western Libya; and a government appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022, currently headed by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which administers the east and most of the south.
For years, the UN Support Mission in Libya has sought to broker a political settlement leading to elections, which many Libyans hope will end the political divisions and armed conflict that have persisted since the 2011 ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.
