Libya needs a new unified executive, conversation with Mohamed Ahmed Al-Mazoghi

By Vanessa Tomassini.

This interview is available in Italian on “Strumenti Politici“.

Last week the Libyan High Council of State (HCS), the body with consultative functions based in Tripoli, announced the candidacy of engineer Mohammed al Mazoghi as prime candidate of a “mini government”, in charge of supervising to the electoral process in the North African country. Several members of the Joint Committee (6+6), made up of six members of the HCS and the same number of the House of Representatives (HoR), met Al Mazoghi, in the context of consultations for the formation of a crisis government. The aim of the meetings, reads the press release, is to form a unified government, which extends its control and influence over the whole territory of the country, to create the climate and conditions favorable to holding elections acceptable for all.

Mohamed Ahmed Al-Mazoghi is an engineer, born in Tripoli in 1973, he graduated in General Planning and Production Engineering. Candidate in the Libyan presidential elections, announced in 2021 and postponed to a later date. Independent, he does not belong to any party or entity. Reached to know something more about him and his program.

“I was born in Tripoli, in 1973, I studied General Planning and Production Engineering. I candidate for the Libyan presidential elections programmed for December 2021. An independent, I do not belong to any parties or entities, I only entered the political field, hoping to help find a solution to the problem, or rather the tragedy that my country has been exposed to since 2011. As a native of this country, I was born, raised and educated, and my origins go back to the most important, largest and most widespread city in Libya, Tarhuna, which helped me achieve a wide consensus and gave me the possibility of communicating with all cities and currents”. Al-Mazoghi tell us about him.

Thank you for accepting this meeting, how do you see the current political situation in Libya?

“A crisis situation that requires national will, bold decisions, and concerted efforts towards consensual solutions to resolve the deadlock that we are suffering from now. The only solution that Libyans and all local and international parties can agree on is elections, but the way must be paved to achieve the electoral dream, which begins with the need to find a new government. A unified one that can communicate and deal with everyone, and its most important priority is to achieve the presidential and parliamentary elections because I see that the current government cannot achieve that with all due respect to its president and ministers. It is no longer in a state of consensus that enables it to achieve that goal”.

What do you think of the work done by the joint committee (6+6) on electoral laws?

“Every human work is subject to criticism and development. The committee has striven as much as possible under the current circumstances and provided the best possible consensual solutions, but the most important thing is that they have finished their work, which was approved by the two councils, and this is a huge and unprecedented step. Even if there are observations, which are a natural thing. Especially since we are certain that these elections will not provide a final solution to the Libyan problem, but we are confident that it is the first and correct step towards achieving stability and restoring our homeland”.

What do you think of HNEC President Emad Al-Sayeh remarks? And about Bathily’ recent briefing to the UN Security Council?

“As for the Commission’s remarks, it is a word of truth that I want strongly. As for Mr. Bathily’s briefing, it did not present anything new, rather it frustrated us all, despite my certainty of Mr. Batelli’s efforts and attempts to find a consensual solution”.

Your candidacy has been announced by the High Council of State, but how is your relationship with the authorities in the east, parliament, and Marshal Khalifa Haftar?

“We are seeking to find a solution that will end the blockage and advance us in this path of elections. But according to the current situation, the government cannot achieve this because of the state of incompatibility and mistrust between it and all parties, and therefore the matter requires a unified consensual government that works on all Libyan soil, stands at the same distance from everyone, and deals with everyone without excluding anyone, because Libya will not be built except with everyone’s participation. On this basis, we communicated with all politicians, currents, sheikhs, and mayors in various regions of the country. The meetings were very successful, and their results were acceptable to everyone. Our relationship with everyone is very excellent”.

Why has changing the executive authority become a priority in Libya?

“To simplify, no country in the world has elections held under the supervision of two governments in the same State. Because there will simply be no acceptance of the results if they do not meet the interests of one of the parties. So, we’ll go back to square one”.

How do you imagine your potential government? Are you already thinking of some ministers?

“A professional, non-exclusionary government of technocrats that takes into account justice in the distribution of positions, works efficiently and effectively according to a scientific and realistic methodology, and has specific goals, the most important of which is paving the way completely for the presidential and parliamentary elections”.

How is your relationship with the south?

“As we mentioned before, our relationship is good with everyone. We visited all Libyan regions and paid great attention to the southern region as one of the most important focal points in achieving stability in Libya. We visited during this month the far south of Libya all the way to the Libyan-Algerian border”.

And with Abdul Hamid Dabaiba?

“We do not have any disagreements with anyone. We respect and appreciate everyone in the Libyan political and social scene, but we disagree with policies and practices that we believe are not in the interest of the country from our point of view through living reality”.

What is your position on foreign forces, fighters and mercenaries in Libya?

“Our opinion is clear from the beginning. We strongly stress the need to expel all foreign fighters and mercenaries from all Libyan soil, whatever the justifications or formula for their presence on Libyan soil is”.

Would you like to add something to my questions?

“We hope that the international community will stand with the desire of the Libyan people and help them to achieve stability, security, justice, development, and the participation of the world in the procession of civilization and building the future, and that Libya, which is the country rich in its geographical location, resources and wealth, will be part of the solution and not part of the problem, and we always affirm that we are coming to what we are. We are determined to achieve the project of restoring the homeland and building the new Libyan Nation”.