The Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR), Aqila Saleh, called on the High Council of State (HCS) to initiate communication and coordination with the HoR to form a single unified government as soon as possible, to “calm the situation and establish security and peace.”
Saleh stated that “the insistence of the Government of National Unity—whose mandate has expired—on holding onto power, its continued manipulation of state institutions, and its desire to obstruct the efforts of the House of Representatives, the High Council of State, and the UN Mission to end the division in Libya, has dragged the country into a state of fratricidal fighting,” according to a statement published Wednesday by HoR Spokesman Abdullah Blehiq on Facebook.
Saleh held the Government of National Unity “nationally, legally, and morally” responsible for the ongoing events in Tripoli, calling for the protection of civilians and their property, an immediate ceasefire, the opening of safe corridors, and the enabling of relevant authorities to carry out rescue, emergency, and fire response operations.
Meanwhile, Saleh also blamed the international community and the UN Mission for not exerting enough pressure on the Government of National Unity to step down and hand over power to a unified government.
He urged the withdrawal of international recognition from the GNU and called for support for the HoR and the High Council of State to form a new, time-bound government tasked with ending institutional division and supporting the High National Elections Commission in organizing simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections, in accordance with the proposal and opinion of the advisory committee tasked with resolving disputes over electoral laws.
Tripoli witnessed a serious security escalation on Tuesday night and early Wednesday, with violent armed clashes breaking out in the city center. This led to the declaration of a state of emergency, suspension of classes and exams, and rerouting of flights from Mitiga Airport to Misrata Airport. Several neighborhoods across the city—from east to west and south—experienced intense clashes involving heavy and medium weapons, causing widespread panic in densely populated areas.
