Global Courant
UNITED NATIONS
The UN envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, urged the Security Council on Monday to pressure all relevant actors to demonstrate the necessary political will for the long-awaited elections in the war-torn country.
Efforts are underway to ensure that political leaders in Libya overcome their differences to hold presidential and parliamentary elections, which have been suspended since December 2021.
In a briefing to the 15-member UN Security Council, Bathily said it was now crucial to take steps to overcome stubborn disagreements over long-standing issues in order to avoid a “gloomy picture” for Libya and the people of the region.
He urged Libya’s decision makers to act in a spirit of reconciliation.
“Without such concessions, controversial issues are likely to throw the electoral process into a dead end like in 2021, which will lead to further polarization and destabilization in the country,” Bathily said.
“Successful elections require not only a legal framework, but also a political agreement that ensures the involvement and participation of all major stakeholders”.
He said he plans to intensify negotiations and bring together key stakeholders, or their trusted representatives, to reach a final agreement on the most controversial issues, make bills workable and enable successful elections.
He also warned that the conflict in Sudan raises concerns about its potential destabilizing effects on Libya, particularly regarding a potential influx of refugees and the cross-border movements of armed elements.
Oil-rich Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when long-time ruling Muammar Gaddafi was ousted after four decades in power.
The situation has worsened since last March, when the eastern Libya-based parliament appointed a new government led by former Interior Minister Fethi Basaga, but Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, one of the two figures to claim power and authority in Libya, insists. It will hand over authority to a government that comes only through an “elected parliament”, raising fears that Libya could again spiral into civil war.
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