Libya's eastern government rejects new Tripoli council, warns of push for autonomy

Tripoli [Libya], November 22: Libya's eastern-based government on Friday rejected a new "Supreme Council of Presidencies" formed by rival authorities in Tripoli, declaring the body void and warning that further political deadlock could push the east toward autonomy.
The administration led by Osama Hamad, appointed by the eastern-based parliament, said the council announced on Thursday lacks legal authority and threatens the country's fragile stability.
In a statement, the eastern government said the initiative "undermines institutional stability, obstructs the electoral process and creates an unconstitutional crisis." It urged the international community to shun the new body and warned that continued delays in national elections could force the east to demand self-rule.
The dispute marks the latest friction between Libya's two parallel administrations: the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli, which controls the west, and the Hamad-led government in Benghazi, backed by Khalifa Haftar's powerful Libyan National Army, which controls the east and parts of the south.
The "Supreme Council of Presidencies" was established on Thursday during a meeting in Tripoli between the GNU, the Presidential Council, and the High Council of State.
According to the Tripoli-based leadership, the new body is designed to coordinate national positions on security and economic issues. They stated the council aims to "enhance institutional harmony" without creating a new structural entity.
Libya has been mired in conflict since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, leaving the oil-rich nation split between the opposing legislative and executive bodies.
Source: Xinhua News Agency