On Tuesday, Amal Al-Jarari a candidate for the premiership of Libya’s upcoming interim government said that she had developed a realistic program for her government that would meet the aspirations of the Libyan people.
In her speech to the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in Geneva today, Al-Jarari explained that her program is primarily based on holding and securing elections. “If the government is unable to hold and secure elections, citizens are able to do so,” she noted.
Al-Jarari pointed out that holding the national elections as scheduled tops her governmental program during the coming months. This is in addition to paying attention to the healthcare situation in the country by developing a plan to curb the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Libyan delegates at the UN-backed talks on Tuesday held the first round of voting for a three-member presidency council, part of a new transitional executive to govern the country until December elections.
The 75 participants at the LPDF, who were chosen by the UN to represent a broad cross section of society were shown casting their ballots in three boxes, each representing a region.
But with none of the 24 candidates meeting the required threshold of 70% of votes, elections moved to a second round.The three council posts of president and two vice presidents will represent the west, the east, and the south of Libya.
The candidates for the three posts gave campaign speeches on Monday by video call, with many calling for reconciliation and the withdrawal of the UN-estimated 20,000 foreign mercenaries in Libya.
The UN said the future transitional council would have the job of “reuniting state institutions and ensuring security,” until elections that are set for December.