On Thursday, a member of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), Amal Bugaighis said that some members of the LPDF’s Legal Committee called for a referendum to be held on the constitution.
“As you have seen and heard today, some of the members of the Legal Committee at the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum are calling to hold the referendum on the constitution, although the Assistant Secretary-General and UNSMIL Coordinator, Raisedon Zenenga sent us a clear message confirming that holding a referendum on the permanent constitution is beyond the jurisdiction of the Legal Committee and the Forum, which is also stipulated by Article Four of the Forum’s approved roadmap,” Bugaighis said.
“There is no doubt that those who violated what they had already agreed upon, deserve to be called saboteurs; by calling to hold a referendum, they intend to delay the upcoming national elections scheduled for December 24, 2021,” she added.
On Wednesday, the LPDF resumed its virtual meetings to discuss the constitutional basis for presidential and parliamentary elections, as prepared by the Legal Committee.
Speaking at the opening session, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Libya, Jan Kubis reiterated the need to focus discussions on the “constitutional basis for elections”, especially regarding the method of electing the president and eligibility criteria.
Kubis asserted the Forum’s pivotal role, calling on all participants to meet the challenges and hold elections on time. “There was a strong support, near unanimity, on the proposal of holding elections first,” he said. The envoy warned that it would not be acceptable to hinder the political process and elections, noting that it will be evaluated as such by the Libyan people and the international community.