On Sunday, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, stressed the need to respect the timetable set for holding the upcoming Libyan presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24th, 2021.
In a televised interview with Al-Arabiya TV channel, Le Drian said that this date was determined by the road map supported by the United Nationa (UN) Security Council. He pointed out that the approval of the Presidential Election Law by the House of Representatives (HoR) is an example of important progress.
He continued with, “we urge the Parliament to approve all necessary legislation to hold the coming presidential and legislative elections.”
“We are determined with our European and international partners to put an end to foreign interference in Libya,” he noted.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining the full implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement signed between the Libyan parties on 23rd of October in Geneva. It stipulates the exit of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya.
The French top diplomat also asserted that his country will host an international conference on Libya on November 12th, a month ahead of elections that aim to put an end to a decade of civil war.
France is asking for the elections to be held on schedule and for the “departure of foreign forces and mercenaries,” said Le Drian.
Le Drian’s statements coincide with Libya’s preparations to hold elections on the 24th of December, and the emergence of new differences between its rival parties.
France, Italy, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom have recently confirmed the importance of holding the elections on time in a joint statement in September. They called on all Libyan actors to ensure “inclusive, free and fair” parliamentary and presidential elections on the 24th of December.
Notably, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Di Maio, warned that the failure to hold elections may expose the country to a new phase of violence and instability. “We are very concerned about the time that is shrinking, while the various Libyan parties are unable to reach an agreement on the electoral law and the budget,” Di Maio said, in an interview with the La Repubblica newspaper last month.