France proposes 2018 elections plan to end Libya political stalemate

France has proposed an initiative to end Libya’s political impasse by holding parliamentary and presidential elections by the end of 2018 as per a United National timeline. “Political solution plus a ceasefire except in fighting terrorists, taking away arms form the population with the Shirt agreement being the basis for all military tactics against terror in Libya.”

The Libya Observer reports that the Head of the Presidential Council, Fayez Al-Sirraj, Commander of self-styled army in east Libya Khalifa Haftar, Speaker of the House of Representatives Aqila Saleh and a representative from the High Council of State were invited to sign consent to the intuitive by the French Foreign Ministry.

A source from the HCS said US ad interim Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Williams told the Head of the HCS Khalid Al-Mishri that the US State Department was mulling the French proposal over.

The proposal also included a new round of voters reiteration for two months and changing the House of Representatives (HoR)  HQ to Benghazi from Tobruk as per constitutional declaration article 16, the need to unite central bank of Libya, the disbandment of the eastern Interim Government and commitment by  all parties to unity of army meetings in Cairo.

It also referred to the need by Libyan army forces to secure elections preparations and polling stations while voting would be taking place later this year, urging international community players to support Libyan authorities to help provide Libyans with necessities like cash, health, and education.

The Libya Observer  refers to the reaction to France’s position. Meanwhile, HoR spokesmen Abdullah Blihiq commented on the French proposal saying the solution to Libya’s crisis in at the hands of Libyans and must be a fundamentally Libyan solution. “There are no foreign intuitive to solve Libya’s crisis.” Blihiq told Sputnik on Saturday. France has been doing it all to keep position near the forces of east Libya self-styled army led by Khalifa Haftar, who last month raised eyebrows of his supporters as he disappeared for over 20 days on mysterious medical trip in Paris.