UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame said Wednesday that the UN and international community are watching the ongoing incidents in Tripoli following yesterday’s UN-brokered ceasefire agreement that was reached between the warring groups to restore order in the capital, warning that the violators of the truce shall be held accountable.

In his briefing to the UN Security Council, Salame said his mission is focusing on revision of Tripoli security arrangements to reduce influence of the groups that use arms for personal goals and address the economic issues which underpin the country’s crisis.   

“Moving on economic reforms or the political process has no chance if plundering doesn’t end,” he warned.

Fierce fighting have been raging in Tripoli since August 27 over alleged use of power by leaders of Tripoli armed brigades to obtain bank credits worth millions of dollars while the ordinary people are unable to withdraw their salaries due to the cash shortage crisis.

Salame pointed out in his briefing that Libyans want change through elections, which need conditions in order to take place.

“The conditions will require great effort to achieve; but they are achievable,” he remarked, but without specifying these conditions.

Commenting of Tobruk parliament, the UN envoy said House of Representatives members had failed to do their job and they seek to spoil the political process to achieve their own ends, behind the façade of procedure or false promises. 

“It is clear they have no intention of relinquishing their positions.” He noted.

Salame added that his mission had exerted great efforts to push the political process forward, but “they have either been blocked or designed to lead nowhere.”

“If legislation is not produced soon, we will close this chapter. There are other ways to achieve peaceful political change in Libya.” He underlined, saying “the UN will embrace these ways of change unhesitatingly and with enthusiasm.

The House of Representatives in Tobruk have failed many times to pass the constitution referendum law due to lack of a quorum.

Rejectionists to the constitution intend to spoil the parliament sessions, saying the country should go to a presidential election before the constitution.

The parliament’s failure comes as the country goes through a dire economic crisis.

In his briefing, Salame called on the Central Bank of Libya and the Presidential Council to immediately move forward on currency exchange rate and subsidy reform, so that economic issues underpinning the crisis and eroding the citizens’ daily lives are addressed through action on agreed, essential, and overdue reforms.

The Central Bank of Libya and the Presidential Council have so far failed to implement a package of economic reforms with the latter saying it’s is not authorized to implement the economic reform program because of lack of legal basis that allows it to raise the dinar exchange rate against foreign currencies.

The U.S. dollar is exchanged for around 6.70 at the parallel market, which caused basic commodities to hike in the market amid an acute cash shortage.