On Monday, the Tunisian President Kais Saied called for setting a deadline for holding Libyan elections, while stressing the need to end nearly a decade of chaos and bloodshed in Libya.
In his speech before the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), held in Tunis, President Saied emphasized the need to disarm the numerous militias in the war-torn country.
“It is necessary to set dates for the elections, so that the Libyan people will have the ballot box after the sounds of bullets are silenced,” Saied said.
He suggested that those who will manage the transitional phase in Libya should not run for the presidency or parliament. This would “prevent long-standing tensions” from surfacing according to him.
“You are on a date with history, and to make history, do not let the present pain continue. The region is watching and waiting for the results of this forum,” Saied said to the LPDF’s participants.
The LPDF consists of 75 participants chosen by the United Nations to represent an array of political viewpoints, regional interests, and social groups. This forum follows last month’s Geneva meeting in which rival parties signed a permanent truce.
The Acting UN Envoy to Libya, Stephanie Williams, has described the meeting as the best opportunity in six years to end the turmoil and warfare that have plagued the North-African country.