Libyan elections postponed
The Libya’s Presidential election had been postponed with a new date expected to be announced within 30 days, while it has earlier been scheduled to hold with the first round on December 24, and the second round on January 24, 2022.
Penpushing reports that, the Deputy Head of the United Nations(UN) Support Mission in Libya for Political Affairs, Stephanie Williams,.made this known, explaining that this became necessary after her 10 days visit to the county to help implement intra-Libyan political, security and economic dialogues.
The Deputy Head of the United Nations(UN) Support Mission explained that,having arrived in Libya on December 12, she had heard time and again the overwhelming desire of Libyans to go to the ballot box.”
Penpushing further reports that Williams said the overwhelming desire of Libyans to go to the ballot box would determine their future and to end the long transitional period through the holding of inclusive, free, fair, and credible elections.
“I have also heard their genuine hopes that elections must be part of the solution and not part of the problem in Libya.The United Nations takes note of the Commission’s recommendation to the House of Representatives and welcomes its commitment to the ongoing electoral process and to continuing the review of the applications of the candidates for parliamentary elections’ Williams said.
The High National Elections Commission ,on Wednesday announced that despite being technically prepared, it was unable to meet the December 24 date set by the political roadmap for national elections.
Penpushing also reports that, the commission citing inadequacies in electoral legislation and challenges and appeals related to candidates’ eligibility,requested that the House of Representatives set, within a 30-day period, another date for the first round of the presidential election.
The commission also asked that the necessary measures be taken to address the difficulties facing the completion of the electoral process,just as the Special Adviser maintained that she was ready through mediation and the United Nations(UN’s) good offices, to work with the concerned Libyan institutions and interlocuters to address challenges.
Penpushing reports that, she called upon those concerned to honour and support the will of the 2.8 million Libyans who had registered to vote,noting that the current challenges in the electoral process should in no way be instrumentalised to undermine the stability and progress which has been achieved in Libya over the past 15 months.
The envoy urged the relevant actors to focus on the electoral process and on creating the political and security conditions needed to hold “inclusive, free, fair, peaceful and credible elections, whose outcome will be accepted by all parties.”
The Special Adviser,in addition to her work surrounding the election met with hundreds of people from all regions to lead mediation efforts and engage with Libyan and international partners.
Penpushing also reports that, she observed that since the United Nations(UN)-facilitated ceasefire agreement was signed in October 2020 and the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum Roadmap adopted in November 2020, “tangible progress” had been achieved.
The envoy during her trip on the coastal road between Misrata and Sirte, which was reopened through the efforts of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC), comprising military representatives from opposing sideswas pleased to witness a shift from a discourse of conflict to one of peaceful dialogue.
“Even those who only last year bore arms against each other have continued to come together.I have heard stories of separated families that could finally travel to visit relatives – a development made possible by the ceasefire and resumption of flights and the reopening of roads,” she said.
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