Head of Libya’s High Council of State set to meet UN envoy in Egypt

By Muhammed Artima
TRIPOLI, Libya (AA) – Head of Libya’s High Council of State Khalid Al-Mishri will meet with UN special adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on Friday, according to a Libyan source.

Al-Mishri “will meet with Williams and the outcome of the talks will determine his meeting with (Parliament Speaker Aguila) Saleh,” said the source in the joint constitutional committee between the two assemblies.

The source, who preferred anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said al-Mishri and Williams will discuss "controversial articles that were not agreed upon by the two sides."

The High Council of State, which acts as a senate, is a rival to east Libya-based House of Representative (parliament).

The two sides are still at odds over a number of constitutional articles, including allowing military personnel and dual nationals to run in elections.

On Thursday, Al-Mishri said he was invited by Williams to hold talks with Saleh in Cairo.

The third and last UN-sponsored Libya talks kicked off in Cairo on Sunday in an effort to reach consensus on the constitutional framework to hold long-awaited elections in the North African nation.

Libyans are still waiting for the stalled polls to take place in the hopes that the vote will contribute to ending years of armed conflict that have plagued the oil-rich country.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat