World Bulletin/News Desk

 Libya's General National Congress, whose mandate ended last year, said Monday that it had not decided whether or not to participate in a national dialogue session scheduled for next week in Geneva.

The congress faulted United Nations Envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon, who announced the venue and date of the dialogue session without first consulting it.

"Members of the congress had told Mr. Leon about the importance of consulting them before taking decisions in this regard," Saleh al-Makhzum, congress deputy chairman and a member of the congress' delegation to the dialogue, said.

He said congress members had asked the UN to send a list of the parties that would attend the dialogue session in Geneva.

He added that the UN official had not yet sent the list of names to the congress.

Al-Makhzum said Leon's "hasty" decision to announce the location and time of the dialogue session had caused confusion inside the congress, expressing hope that the confusion would not hamper the session's success.

In a joint statement on Saturday, the United States, France, Britain, Italy and Spain all called on Libya's political rivals to meet in Geneva for serious talks aimed at preventing their country from sliding deeper into chaos.

Leon said a short time later that Libya's rivals had agreed to hold the dialogue session in Geneva next week.

However, the UN mission to Libya did not mention which parties it had invited to the dialogue session or how long the dialogue talks would take.

Libya has remained in a state of chaos ever since a popular uprising in 2011 ousted long serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

The General National Congress' mandate came to an end in 2014, but lawmakers continue to meet in Libyan capital Tripoli.

The congress vies for legislative power with a second parliament, which convenes in the eastern city of Tobruk and which is recognized by the international community.