On Saturday, the Head of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Mnifi, reiterated his full and continuous support for the UN Envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily since his nomination for his mission. He praised Bathily’s efforts to achieve parliamentary and presidential elections before the end of 2023 under Libyan ownership.
In a tweet, Al-Mnifi said, “we are determined to fully implement the road map, the Berlin outputs, and the recommendations and decisions of the Security Council in a way that guarantees Libya’s sovereignty, security and oil stability, unifies its sovereign and economic institutions and guarantees its political neutrality as concomitant to achieving free and fair elections.”
He added, “we are continuing to coordinate with the international community, neighboring countries, and all Libyan political forces and relevant institutions to complete the entitlements of the preliminary stage based on reconciliation, unification of institutions, and the principles of justice, transparency, and impartiality.”
Earlier, the Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, said if electoral laws are put in place in June, elections could be held at the end of this year.
“I believe that the Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) and the High Council of State (HCS) will not take more than several months to draft the electoral laws, and it is important to create a proper security environment for holding the overdue electoral entitlement,” Bathily said during a press conference in Tripoli.
The UN Envoy added that if the 6+6 committee, comprising six members from the Parliament and six from the HCS worked within a reasonable time frame and came out with a constitutional and legal basis for the elections. This would restore the Libyan people’s confidence in the two institutions.
He stressed the importance of creating the necessary security environment for the elections, urging for peaceful dialogue between the country’s security authorities to pave the way for elections.
The UN Envoy stressed that the transitional stages and interim governments caused prolongation of the crisis in Libya and exacerbated economic as well as social conditions in the country.
“The Parliament passed the 13th constitutional amendment and the HCS approved it at an accelerated pace, which is a step in the right direction,” he noted.
Bathily also affirmed that he had conducted extensive consultations with all Libyan parties since he assumed his duties to stress the need to complete the constitutional rule.
The UN diplomat called on the international parties to respond to the call of the Libyans in their aspiration for the elections. “Elections are necessary to restore the legitimacy that represents the Libyan people,” he added.
Bathily concluded, “postponing the elections was a disappointment to the Libyans, and the international community should help conduct a Libyan-Libyan dialogue.”
