Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Tunisia: Accusations of UN Mission favoring Brotherhood

Mustafa Kamel

Several accusations have been directed at the head of the UN Mission in Libya, Stephanie Williams, for selecting the participating and invited members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Tunis through personal whims, with her favoring the Islamist current, especially the Brotherhood, by giving its members seats that exceed the size of their real presence in Libya.

Williams’ choices included a number of controversial names that revolve around the Turkish-Qatari-Brotherhood axis. This called for the Supreme Council of Tribes of Libya and others to announce their withdrawal from the proposed list of those participating in the forum.

The forum is scheduled to be held on November 9 and will be attended by 13 members of Libya’s parliament and 13 from the High Council of State, in addition to 13 Libyan women and 39 independents, according to what was confirmed by Ziad Daghim, a member of the House of Representatives, who noted that the participants come from various references, among them technocrats, representatives and members of the High Council of State, and most of them are politicians representing influential parties or personalities.

Political Islamist orbit

In September, following the announcement of the forum, the list of its participants was leaked, but the UN Mission denied it at the time, until it was confirmed that it was proven correct after the official announcement. The list included a number of controversial names that revolve around political Islamism and the Turkish-Qatari-Brotherhood axis, including Mohammed al-Ra’id, Nizar Kaawan, Mohammed Adam al-Fayed, Taj al-Din Mohammed al-Razfali, Abd al-Qadir Omar Hawili, Abd al-Majid Mleqta, Fawzi Rajab al-Oqab, Fatima al-Zahra Ahmad Mohammed Ali Lanki, Majida Mohammed al-Falah and Ibrahim Sahad.

The head of the reconciliation committee of the Supreme Council of the Tribes of Libya, Zeidan Maatouq al-Zadma, announced his withdrawal from the proposed list, becoming the first to leave the forum. He said that he made his decision after reviewing the proposed names and the Brotherhood and other controversial figures who support terrorism and others who were behind the suffering of Libyans over the past nine years.

Ali al-Takbali, a member of the Defense and National Security Committee in the House of Representatives, accused the UN Mission of choosing a large number of personalities belonging to or allied with the political Islamist movement, explaining that after the UN Mission previously denied the list, it then produced a list bearing the same names. Takbali challenged any of them to claim that they follow the Free Patriotic Movement and that there are no leads that draw them to political Islamism.

The opposition Libyan National People’s Movement also rejected the list of participants, considering it a reversal and a complication of the scene, as it includes a large number of the Brotherhood and its affiliates, in addition to a group of foreign nationalities. The movement confirmed in a statement that the matter predicts a continuation of the crisis and perhaps its complication in the coming period, adding that it will not be better than what the Skhirat Agreement brought about in terms of the marginalization, devastation and destruction of the country, and the displacement and poverty of the people.

Ali Bousbeiha, head of the Supreme Council of Libyan Tribes in the southern region, believes that the UN Mission does not want a solution to the country’s problem, but rather aims to prolong it.

Questions

Observers have questioned the criteria that were adopted to determine the nature of this representation, pointing out that the real goal is to restore the scenario of the Skhirat conference, with the aim of recycling the popularly rejected political Islamists and imposing some of the rejected names in their social surroundings as a result of their involvement in the devastation that has befallen the country over the past nine years.

Libyan activists inferred the extent of the UN Mission’s favoritism towards the Brotherhood by the name of Abdul Razzaq al-Aradi, a well-known leader in the group accused of being involved in inciting violence and standing behind a number of decisions that have led to chaos in the country since 2011. Former Minister of Culture Khaled Najm said, “Be warned, for al-Aradi did not enter a council without intrigue, as he was the first to tuck into the corridors of the transitional council at the time and spoil the scene in the beginning of February.”

Meanwhile, the Sirte and Jufra Security and Protection Operations Room of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli claimed it was deeply surprised by the names on the list that came out, adding that the UN envoy in Libya should stop tampering with the fate of the Libyans, asking, “Who chose these names? What are the criteria by which these repeated names were chosen during these lean years for the Libyan people?”

Williams announced the launch of political consultations between the Libyan parties within the process of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which was inaugurated on Monday, October 26 via video conference, while the direct meeting will start on November 9 in the Tunisian capital.

The UN Mission invited 75 participants from all over the country, saying that they represent all political and social spectrums of the Libyan society. It noted that the selection process was based on the principles of inclusiveness and geographical, political, tribal and equitable social representation.

The Mission added in a statement that the group includes representatives of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, in addition to the active political forces outside the scope of those two institutions, as well as a firm commitment to the meaningful participation of women, youth and minorities, so that the dialogue is inclusive of all sects and components of the Libyan people.