Tripoli, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed prime minister, Fayez Serraj, said the implementation of political agreement is delayed because the parliament is abducted by its presidency.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Serraj said:"The parliament does not fulfill its obligations and does not implement the outputs of the political agreement that extends its legitimacy, especially since the majority of deputies support the agreement. The parliament is abducted by its presidency."
The UN-sponsored political agreement was signed by the Libyan parties in December 2015 in the Morocco's town of Skhirat.
It aims to end the state of political division by establishing a unity government between Libyan rival factions. The rival governments agreed to form the government of national accord.
Backed by the United Nations, the government of national accord in Tripoli, headed by Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, started its work in March 2016. But the Tobruk parliament did not support it.
Aqila Saleh, the speaker of Tobruk parliament, announced his rejection of the unity government on several occasions.
During his interview with Xinhua, Serraj said "We hope that parliament members who obstruct the agreement could understand that they bear the responsibility of the suffering of the Libyans due to the political division of the country. They put their own personal interests above the interest of the nation."
Serraj also spoke about the talks with rival army chief General Khalifa Haftar under Arab and international mediation in Abu Dhabi earlier in May.
"It is a sign of optimism," he said.
"It is a step in the right direction to get our country out of the current crisis. The only solution is dialogue. I have met with all parties to join everyone in the process of reconciliation and consensus in order to achieve stability and economic recovery," the prime minister said.
"We support the solution that the Libyans are willing to accept through dialogue. The role of Mr. Hafter is linked to the military establishment, which we have agreed to unify and develop, and to be under the political leadership. We hope to hold a dialogue at the level of experts and advisers to come up with a comprehensive realistic solution," Serraj said when asked about the possible role of General Khalifa Haftar and the government.
Regarding the security tensions in Tripoli, Serraj told Xinhua:" There are armed formations outside the legitimacy of the government of national accord. We repeatedly warned them to stop intimidation of citizens, but they continued in their criminal practices. They have been firmly and strongly confronted. I hope they have learned the lesson, as we will not be lenient regarding our duty to protect the country," Serraj added.
Southern Tripoli on Friday witnessed violent clashes between militias allied with the deposed government of Khalifa Gwell and militias loyal to the unity government. The fighting killed more than 55 and wounded more than 150.
The militias of the former government are stationed in the south of the capital. They control a number of camps and sites, including areas around Tripoli international airport, which was destroyed the during the clashes of July 2014.
On anti-terrorism efforts, Serraj said "We mobilized every possible means to counter terrorism. We have worked and are still working with neighboring and relevant countries to secure the borders."
"As a result of the improving security situation, some embassies have returned to the capital. Some international companies and institutions have returned and the rest are on their way to return," Serraj added.
Regarding illegal immigration, Serraj said "We have signed a memorandum of understanding to support monitoring illegal immigration, fighting human trafficking and smuggling, and control southern border. It is activation of previous agreements first signed in 2008, and the second agreement was signed in 2012."
Prime minister Fayez Serraj and his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentolini in February signed a memorandum of understanding to stop illegal immigration.
The memorandum raised debate as it was not in the jurisdiction of the government to sign such memorandums before presenting a draft to the parliament.
A number of jurists have appealed to local courts to decide on the legality of the memorandum with Italy, fearing it would turn Libya into the largest refugee shelter in the world.
Libya suffers a large flow of illegal immigrants crossing from the south, especially from neighboring Chad, Sudan and Niger. International organizations have estimated that more than a million Africans in Libya are trying to cross into Europe through the Mediterranean this year.
At the end of the interview, the prime minister said China plays an important role in helping Libya overcome chaos. He also expressed his hope that China will continue its political and economic support to Libya and the two countries will cooperate further in various fields.
