Libyan PM: Only elections will bring the country security

Omar Al-Hassi, the prime minister of the Libyan government in Tripoli, stressed that elections were necessary to put an end to the chaos that has been plaguing the country since the fall of dictator Muammar Al-Qaddafi.

In an interview with the Associated Press yesterday, Al-Hassi emphasised that the elected government will return to Tripoli, which has been under the control of Dawn of Libya fighters since June after a series of clashes with the government.

“The House of Representatives currently based in Tobruk is no longer relevant to Libya, it has lost its legitimacy and we need new elections. The current conflict in Libya is between the revolutionaries and those who oppose the revolution that was hijacked in 2011,” Al-Hassi said.

He accused the government and parliament, headed by Abdullah Al-Thini, of supporting the counter-revolutionary efforts that were initiated by General Haftar. Al-Hassi described these actions as “a breech of national sovereignty, which have allowed foreign planes to bomb Libya”.

The prime minister also accused Egypt and the United Arab Emirates of launching raids against Dawn of Libya fighters in September, as part of a greater effort to combat religious groups in the country.

“Haftar came up with this idea of a coup in order to impress the Libyan people and to convince Libya and the international community alike that he is Libya’s saviour and that he will eradicate Muslim groups,” Al-Hassi added.

He also emphasised that a new government will be the only thing that will bring back legitimacy and stability to the Libyan people.