UN rejects Haftar's claim to lead Libya

UNITED NATIONS - The Libyan Political Agreement remains the framework for governance in the country despite Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar's claim to become the national leader, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday.

"Any political change must take place through democratic means, not through any military means," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "We've, obviously, been concerned by the ongoing situation there."

The secretary-general's Acting Special Representative Stephanie Turco Williams has been in touch with leaders of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, Dujarric said. Williams also spoke to the head of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives and other leaders.

"I think her message is clear, that the Libyan Political Agreement and the institutions that emanate from it remain the sole internationally recognized framework of governance in Libya, and that's very much in line with the Security Council resolutions, and that any political change must take place through democratic means, not through any military means," the spokesman said.

Haftar announced in a televised speech on Monday that he was canceling the UN-sponsored political agreement, claiming it is "people's authorization" for him to run the country.

In December 2015, Libyan rival parties signed a political agreement in Morocco that appointed the UN-backed GNA, in an attempt to end the state of political division in the country. However, Libya remains politically divided between eastern and western governments competing for dominance.

Haftar's eastern-based army has been leading a military campaign in and around the capital Tripoli, attempting to take over the city and topple the rival UN-backed government.