Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

I hope the election of Mahmoud Jibril will prove to be positive. I did not agree with the intervention of the western powers in Libya. It is rarely the case that military intervention proves to be positive. I agree with the Tánaiste in his view that a military intervention in Syria today, no more than in Iran, would be fraught with disaster. The new president is a former financial adviser to Gadaffi's government. He faces the resentment of the rebel commanders and the Islamic organisations. The Minister of State referred to the sharing out of seats in the parliament. The area in the east of the country around Benghazi is feeling pretty hard done by and there are feelings of exclusion and resentment because it has been allocated only 60 seats out of 200 seats whereas the western area of the country has been allocated 100 seats and the south has 60. This division was obviously based on population but those in the east are feeling excluded. The Irish Government should take note of the findings in the Amnesty International report. It said that following the election, "as a first step to turn the page, it was looking to the General National Congress and the government it appoints to publicly admit the scale and gravity of human rights abuses, unequivocally condemn them, and send a message that such violations would no longer be tolerated." Amnesty International's Middle East and north Africa deputy director said: "To honour the sacrifices and suffering of Libyans, those who take on the responsibility of governing the new Libya have to make clear that they intend to bring to justice and hold accountable those who have committed human rights abuses – whatever their rank or affiliation." The Irish Government should be seeking to have this implemented in the area.

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