Egypt's Sisi pushes for December elections in Libya

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pledged support on Thursday for elections in Libya in talks with interim prime minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, days after meeting strongman Khalifa Haftar. Sisi "stressed the importance of the upcoming Libyan elections in respecting and activating the free will of the ... Libyan people," a presidency statement said. During a visit to Tripoli, US Department of State Counsellor Derek Chollet said the war-torn country had "the best opportunity ... in a decade to bring the conflict to closure". An interim government was established earlier this year to lead conflict-ridden Libya towards December 24 parliamentary and presidential polls. Parliament speaker Aguila Saleh, who also met Sisi alongside Haftar, ratified a law last week governing the presidential elections.  Critics accused him of failing to follow due process and seeking to favour Haftar. The mercurial general, who lived in the US state of Virginia for decades before returning during the revolution, leads forces that have de facto control over Libya's east and part of the south. He is increasingly expected to run in the country's presidential poll later this year. Cairo has long been seen...