The High Council of State (HCS) announced Wednesday canceling a meeting that was supposed to be aired in the presence of the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) Al-Siddiq Al-Kabeer, and the Head of the Audit Bureau, Khalid Shakshak, on security grounds and for preserving the HCS’s independence.

“We are an elected autonomous body by Libyans since 2012 and are legitimate as per the Libyan Political Agreement. We receive orders from no party.” The HCS explained, blaming the Presidential Council for the legal responsibility as it did not do its job in the security preparations as per the LPA.

HCS member Mansour Al-Hassadi said the council presidency canceled the meeting that was supposed to review the economic issues in Libya without talking to the HCS members, blaming the council presidency for the issuing of a cancelation statement without consulting the members.

“The HCS statement of the cancellation only represents the Head of the HCS as all members arrived in the meeting place but were surprised to hear the meeting was postponed.” Al-Hassadi added.

Ean Libyan news website quoted “reliable sources” as saying that the security brigade appointed to secure Al-Mahari Hotel, where the HCS is located, demanded the HCS’s televised meeting be canceled, but the HCS presidency refused to have outside parties meddling in its work and thus the HCS issued a statement canceling the meeting.

Ean Libya added that the sources said the HCS accused the Presidential Council’s Head Fayez Al-Sirraj of urging the security brigade to prevent the meeting from being held due to the HCS’s rejection of the expansion of the government’s cabinet that Al-Sirraj is trying to conduct.