The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Monday welcomed the start of the digital voter registration by the High National Elections Commission for the upcoming elections, reported CGTN Africa.
“The UN Support Mission in Libya congratulates the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) on the launch of the voter registration update and considers this event to be a key milestone towards the realization of the Libyan people’s overwhelming demand for national elections on 24 December 2021,” UNSMIL said in a statement.
During the launching event, Georgette Gagnon, the UN Assistant Secretary-General, Resident, and Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya, said after more than seven years without national elections, there is a new opportunity for the people of Libya to move forward and exercise one of their most basic rights.
Gagnon said the launch of the digital voter registration update is the first concrete step towards the holding of national elections, but it is important that a constitutional basis and a legal framework are set to enable the implementation of further preparations.
Late last week, UNSMIL announced the failure of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum’s (LPDF) five-day meeting in Geneva. The meeting was aimed at reaching a final agreement on the constitutional basis regulating the upcoming elections.
UNSMIL appealed to the LPDF to accelerate their deliberations, and finalize the proposal for the constitutional basis for elections. The UN body urged the parliament of Libya to fulfill its role and adopt a legal framework for concrete implementation of steps and allow the people of the country to exercise their democratic rights on the day of the election.
The LPDF selected a new executive authority of a unity government and a presidency council. The main task of the newly elected body is to prepare for the upcoming general elections scheduled to be held on December 24.
