| Jibril calls for Libya unity government |
TRIPOLI Libya’s wartime rebel prime minister Mahmoud Jibril called for the 150 political parties in the country to back the creation of a coalition government with the country still days away from the final results of its first free poll.
Jibril declined comment on speculation his own National Forces Alliance (NFA) of around 60 parties was ahead of Islamic groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood.
“We extend an honest call for a national dialogue to come altogether in one coalition, under one banner ... This is an honest and sincere call for all political parties operating today in Libya,” Jibril said.
“In yesterday’s poll there was no loser or winner ... Whoever wins, Libya is the real winner,” he said.
Jibril rejected descriptions of the NFA as secular and liberal, saying a commitment to tenets of Islamic law was among its core principles.
His remarks came hours after the leader of Justice and Construction Party, Mohammed Sawan, admitted the NFA had an early lead in the vote count.
UN leader Ban Ki-moon called for Libya’s new leaders to govern in a spirit of “justice and reconciliation” as he hailed the country’s first elections since Gaddafi’s downfall.
Votes are still being tallied with preliminary results expected by Monday night or early on Tuesday, according to electoral commission officials, although observers say the count could take another four or five days.
Agencies
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