Martin Kobler from Shahat: It’s Very Important Now that Second List of Ministers, that will be Presented, Passes the House of Representatives

Excerpts from SRSG for Libya Martin Kobler’s Press Conference in Shahat Following a Meeting with House of Representatives President Mr. Agila Saleh, Friday 05 February 2016

I just had a very long and a very fruitful meeting with the president of the House of Representatives. And you know it's very cold here in Shahat today in Aljabal Alakhdar and the president gave me this traditional hat. And I feel very honoured of this very warm gesture. This is truly a place of hospitality.

We had a long conversation on the political process and I am just coming from Rome where I had a meeting with FM Kerry, Mogherini and other foreign ministers. And I conveyed a message that it's now very important to speedily move ahead with the political process. The Presidency Council at this stage sitting together to draft the new list of ministers, and I am of the opinion that it has to be a list based on competence and that the House of Representatives should really now for the second time endorse this list presented by the Presidency Council.

There are three reasons:

The first one is the expansion of Daesh is progressing, everyday there is a territory stolen from the Libyan people in the east in the west and also in the south.

The second reason is the humanitarian situation of the country. Last time I was here a week ago, 10 days ago and I visited a hospital in Al-Bayda, there is a lack of drugs and the patients have to bring their medicine with them. This is a rich country and this should not happen.

And the third reason is really the shrinking financial resources of the country.

That's why I encourage all Libyan politicians in particular now the members of the House of Representatives to go ahead with the second list. And I totally agreed with the president of the House of Representatives that Libya must have a Government of National Accord, a unity government and this government must go as soon as possible into Tripoli, the capital of this country.

Now there are those who are obstructing this process and it has always been my message and my policy to get everybody on board, and this has to be fast. It must be fast now that the second list that will be presented to the House of Representatives passes the House of Representatives and the government is in Tripoli and that they work for the benefit of people of Libya.