The United Nations (UN) special representative to Libya on Monday said he will launch a new initiative to enable elections in Libya this year with the formation of a high-level steering committee, reported The UN News.
Addressing the U.N. Security Council, Abdoulaye Bathily said the new panel would bring together representatives of political institutions, civil society groups, and others who will then work together to facilitate the adoption of a legal framework in the country and chalk out a time-bound road map for the holding of elections.
He pointed out that the political process remains protracted and falls short of the aspirations of the people of Libya, who seek to elect their leaders and reinvigorate their political institutions.
Mr. Bathily said Libyans are now widely questioning the will and desire of the country’s political factions to hold inclusive and transparent elections this year.
“Libya’s political class is going through a major legitimacy crisis,” the UN special representative said, referring to the need for elections.
Outlining his extensive engagement with Libyan political actors over recent months, the Special Representative said he has also met with General Khalifa Haftar, leader of the Libyan National Army, a rival administration to the UN-recognized Government of National Accord.
Notably, Libya has been steering with multiple crises since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, who had led the oil-rich nation since 1969, in 2011. The UN has been working to support a peaceful resolution ever since.
In December 2021, Libya had to postpone, and later cancel, critical presidential and parliamentary elections due to legal disputes and other challenges, sparking disappointment both within and beyond the country’s borders.
The UN Special Representative Bathily, who was appointed in September 2022, had aimed to help Libyan parties and international partners to agree on a constitutional basis to hold elections in December 2023.
