By Kamal Tawil
Libya’s former interim prime minister Mahmoud Jibril is currently getting ready to participate again in the Libyan elections.
The question is: what guarantees that the National Forces Alliance he is leading will be allowed to reach power in the next voting after the “dream was stolen” in 2012 and 2014?
“The dream was stolen by sponsored forces that thought the victory of the alliance is a coup over the revolution. Forces of Islamic politics stood behind that – they rejected the results of the elections then issued the political isolation law under the pretexts of immunizing the revolution,” said Jibril during an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper in London.
Jibril demanded that all political and armed forces present pledges in advance that they will respect the outcome of elections, accusing directly “the political Islam forces” of revoking under the force of arms the victory of the National Forces Alliance in previous elections.
When asked about the reason behind this long absence from Libya and the reason behind his sudden visit, he affirmed that the absence was not a choice but a necessity because after Fajr Libya operation (in summer 2014) a serious security threat erupted and was shown in burning of the National Forces Alliance headquarters in Tripoli.
Commenting on Sarraj government and the international recognition of it which was represented by US President Donald Trump receiving Sarraj days ago, he stated that it doesn’t really matter to him if Trump received this or that party. “I support a rescue program for this country.
When Sarraj adopts a national rescue program then I will back him. Yet I don’t support figures but programs – a program that provides an exit for the country from its crisis. This program doesn’t exist until now, otherwise UN Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salameh wouldn’t have launched his initiative to adjust Sukheirat Agreement and try to form a national unity government,” he added.
Jibril continued: “Salameh is not giving a definite program. I personally comprehend the initiative as an issuance of three parallel and not consecutive tracks. Many see that these stages are consecutive. When Sukheirat Agreement is adjusted, we move to the national conference and then to elections. But they are not.”
As for how parties will respond to the initiative launched by the National Forces Alliance in August, he expects that all parties struggling to reach power will take part in a serious dialogue. Then when the dialogue ends as well as the adjustments, the initiative would become a national one and not only an initiative for the National Forces Alliance.
“The primary motive behind this initiative is to overcome the obstacles of establishing the Libyan country,” he stated.
About a possible role for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in the future of Libya, Jibril stressed that the initiative is proposed in front of those looking at the future and not the past of Libya. “If the past of Libya was satisfying then the uprising of Feb. 17 wouldn’t have taken place.”
He finally reiterated support for the establishment of a national army, given that a talk about sovereignty, citizenship rights, and constitution is not possible without having a national army.
_________
