On Monday, Libya’s High National Elections Commission (HNEC) organised a ‘Bridge’ workshop on political parties. This was in partnership with a United Nations team, to support the elections in Libya.
The workshop was attended by the Director General, Mohamed Iqhis, and the Director of the Registration and External Operations Department, Walid Siala at the HNEC’s media center.
The program aims to train 30 employees from various departments and divisions of HNEC, including in Public Administration, using the Bridge methodology. This consists of a mixture of activities, presentations, practical applications, and examples.
It also includes discussion between participants and working groups. A UN team is participating to support the elections in Libya, and provide international perspectives, comparisons, and options available to understand the role of parties from a technical perspective, specific to HNEC.
The 3-day workshop represents an opportunity to enhance the awareness of the commission’s staff, regarding political parties and their role in the electoral process.
The program also includes studying mechanisms for monitoring political financing and electoral campaigns. This is through informed discussions, and a program prepared by a team approved by Bridge, HNEC, and the international support team.
Notably, the UN Special Envoy 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 Parliament and the 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.
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.”
