United Nations (UN) envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, on Sunday called for international support to help the country overcome the ongoing crisis, reported The Daijiworld.
Bathily’s remarks came after attending a consultative meeting of the Arab foreign ministers in Tripoli on Sunday. The meeting was attended by representatives from a number of Arab countries, including Algeria, Tunisia, and Qatar.
“I call on all international stakeholders, including Libya’s neighbors, to speak with one voice and step up their support to help Libya overcome its long-term crisis,” the UN envoy to Libya tweeted.
He also urged all Libyan parties to work together and find ways to overcome their differences so that Libya can once again play a leading role as an African-Arab country and as an active member of the UN.
He said 2.8 million Libyans registered to vote over a year ago. He added that the number shows the will and determination of the people of Libya to choose their representatives, restore legitimacy to their institutions and chart their way forward to stability through a democratic political process.
Libya failed to hold general elections in December 2021 due to disagreements over election laws among the Libyan parties.
Last week, Libya’s Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh said the country’s long-delayed elections will be held before November after an agreement with the Tripoli-based High Council of State.
Libya has been in turmoil since 2011 when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted after being in power for four decades.
The situation has deteriorated since last year when the Libyan parliament appointed former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha as the prime minister. But Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, the head of the Tripoli-based government, said he will hand over the authority only to a government that comes through an elected parliament.
Earlier this month, Dbeibeh also said that his Tripoli-based government is all set to hold general elections in the year 2023.
