Libyans ink deal over criteria on positions of sovereignty

The delegations of the Libyan Supreme Council of State and the Tobruk-based House of Representatives signed a draft agreement on criteria for appointments for positions of sovereignty on Tuesday.

According to an Anadolu Agency correspondent, the signing ceremony took place after the second round of talks held in Morocco wrapped up.

Tuesday's agreement is related to the implementation of Article 15 of the Skhirat Agreement which was signed on Dec. 17, 2015 in Morocco.

The article indicates in its first paragraph that "the House of Representatives consults with the State Council [...] to reach consensus on the occupants of the leadership positions of the following sovereign positions: Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Head of the Audit Bureau, Head of the Administrative Control Authority, Head of the Anti-Corruption Authority, President and members The High Electoral Commission, the President of the Supreme Court, and the Attorney General."

And the second paragraph of the article stipulates that approval of two-third of the House of Representatives is required for appointments.

Due to the great division in the country between east and west, most of these sovereign institutions, if not all, have become divided, with two heads.

However, among the other non-sovereign institutions that could be subject to the same appointment mechanisms include The National Oil Corporation and the Libyan Investment Corporation, given their economic and financial weight and intense competition over them.

Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The Government of National Accord (GNA) was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement. But efforts for a long-term political settlement have failed due to a military offensive by forces loyal to renegade general Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia.

Diplomatic efforts have been underway in recent weeks to resolve the Libyan conflict following victories by the Libyan army against Haftar's militias.