OPEN LETTER BY THE LIBYA INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES (LIAS)
Date: 14.12.2019
His Excellency Dr. Ghassan Salamé
Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Libya
Your Excellency,
Further to our best greetings,
Further to our previous Open Letters to UNSMIL, particularly our letter dated 4 August 2019, and our recent letter dated 28 November 2019, and in light of the following developments:
- The demands submitted in the past few days to the United Nations, and to the League of Arab States, by His Excellency the Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives, the elected and sole legitimate legislature in Libya, to withdraw international recognition of the Presidential Council and its Government of National Accord which has never been sworn in before, and has never won the confidence of, the elected Libyan Parliament.
- The demands made in the past days by various groups of Libyan civil society and Libyan social and municipal councils to withdraw international recognition of the Presidential Council and its government.
- The statements issued by the Greek Parliament and the Egyptian House of Representatives, affirming that the Libyan House of Representatives is the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people.
- And with the approach of 17 December 2019, which is the end date of the third annual renewal of the Presidential Council’s already expired tenure as per the Skhirat Libyan Political Agreement which stipulates that the tenure of the Presidential Council is for one year renewable for another year at most.
In view of the above, the Libya Institute for Advanced Studies requests from the United Nations to seriously and urgently consider not to grant an automated renewal to the Presidential Council and its government, given the completion of four years of unlawful and despotic continuation of its rule despite the fact that it is an unelected body that has never won the vote of confidence at the Parliament which was elected by the Libyan people. Thus, by 17 December 2019, the full and undiminished presidential powers must completely return to the presidency of the elected Libyan House of Representatives.
In light of the accelerated and dangerous measures taken by the Presidential Council and its government, as well as its sovereign institutions in the external, security, oil, banking, and investment fields, the work team of the Libya Institute for Advanced Studies, hereby, kindly requests a prompt notification of non-renewal of the tenure of the Presidential Council and its government, and to notify all member states of the United Nations not to enforce its decisions, agreements, and memoranda of understanding that it has haphazardly concluded or signed these days.
By and large, the sovereignty, capabilities and resources of the Libyan people are a great trust that must be respected, appreciated and preserved. Putting an end to the automatic renewal next Tuesday 17 December 2019, marking the end of the fourth year of the officially expired mandate of the Presidential Council and its government, is the best way to observe and maintain that trust.
Kindly accept our highest esteem and appreciation for taking this proposal into consideration sooner rather than later.
Dr. Aref Ali Nayed
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Libya Institute for Advanced Studies
