UN says Libya factions to meet in Tripoli over elections

Ghassan Salame, above, said the meeting will be held in Ghadames on April 14-16. (AFP)

• The meeting is supposed to offer opposing Libyan sides a platform of discussion
• Foreign parties will not be invited to the meeting

BENGHAZI: The UN envoy to Libya says rival factions will meet next month to set dates for parliamentary and presidential elections.
Ghassan Salame told a press conference Wednesday that 120 to 150 Libyans will take part in the gathering in the town of Ghadames, near the border with Algeria, on April 14-16.
He says the meeting will bring together representatives of rival authorities in the east and west, and will not include any foreign parties. He says the UN hopes for “a new beginning for the country for stability.”
Libya slid into chaos after the 2011 uprising that overthrew and killed long-ruling dictator Muammar Qaddafi. The country is currently governed by rival authorities in Tripoli and the east, each backed by an array of militias.