On Sunday, the US Ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland affirmed the need for “new stimulus to organize elections, and find a lasting political solution in Libya.”
The US Embassy in Algeria quoted Norland as saying that he held consultations, which he described as “very valuable” with Algeria, on how “neighbouring countries can support the political process for the benefit of Libya and the region.”
The US Envoy added that he looks forward to continuing consultations with Algeria on the situation in Libya. “I appreciated the hospitality that Libyan Ambassador to Algeria, Salih Bakdah extended to US Ambassador, Elizabeth Aubin and me. We discussed the positive role that Algeria is playing in support of stability in Libya,” Norland added.
On Saturday, Norland urged Libyan actors to listen to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily’s remarks. In a tweet published on the US Embassy’s Twitter page, Norland also called on the Libyans “to consider how Bathily’s remarks can be a part of the solution that breaks the political impasse.”
Earlier, 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 Parliament 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 timeframe 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.”
He emphasised that the “transitional stages and interim governments caused the 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.
