US Calls on Libyans to Agree on Constitutional Basis

The United States Embassy in Libya called on all actors in Libya, including the Libyan Parliament and the High Council of State (HCS) to agree swiftly on a constitutional basis.

In a statement, the Embassy congratulated Libya on its Independence Day. It noted, “with concern that one year has passed since the postponement of the scheduled elections in Libya on 24 December 2021.”

It stated that “free, fair, transparent, and inclusive Presidential and Parliamentary elections as soon as possible, across the country, remain the clear will and aspiration of the Libyan people. They deserve a unified and democratically-elected government that can govern for the good of the whole country and its people, as well as a legislature with a renewed mandate.”

“We, therefore, call on all Libyan actors and key stakeholders to work with SRSG Bathily, through compromise and constructive engagement, to fulfil their responsibilities to the Libyan people in order to deliver long-term stability, security, and prosperity. We stand ready to work with all sides in support of these aims and we reiterate our support for SRSG Bathily’s efforts,” it added.

It called on all actors, including the Parliament Speaker, Ageela Saleh and the Head of the HCS, Khaled Al-Mishri to “come together under UN auspices to agree swiftly on the constitutional basis. If the two institutions cannot reach an agreement swiftly on a credible electoral roadmap, alternative mechanisms can, and should be used to adopt a constitutional basis for elections. At the same time, we also commit to supporting inclusive intra-Libyan dialogue under UN auspices.”

Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.

The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed a rival Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.