During a visit to help implement intra-Libyan political, security and economic dialogues and support recently postponed presidential and parliamentary elections, the UN envoy to the country issued a statement on Thursday, detailing her work over the last 10 days.
Having arrived in Libya on 12 December, Special Advisor Stephanie Williams said that she has heard “time and again the overwhelming desire of Libyans to go to the ballot box to 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”.
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Postponed elections
Yesterday, the High National Elections Commission announced that despite being technically prepared, it was unable to meet the 24 December date set by the political roadmap for national elections.
Citing inadequacies in electoral legislation and challenges and appeals related to candidates’ eligibility, the Commission requested that the House of Representatives set, within a 30-day period, another date for the first round of the Presidential election.
They also asked that the necessary measures be taken to address the difficulties facing the completion of the electoral process.
“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”, said Ms. Williams.
Standing ready
The Special Adviser maintained that she is ready through mediation and the UN’s good offices, to work with the concerned Libyan institutions and interlocuters to address challenges.
She called upon those concerned to honour and support the will of the 2.8 million Libyans who have registered to vote.
The current challenges in the electoral process “should in no way be instrumentalized to undermine the stability and progress which has been achieved in Libya over the past 15 months”, she stressed, strongly urging 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”.
UNSMIL/Abel Kavanagh
Boy walks down a street in Tripoli, Libya.
UN chief weighs in
Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement through his Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq, taking note of the announcement.
“It is imperative that the will of the people is respected. Presidential and parliamentary elections must take place in Libya in the appropriate conditions to peacefully end the political transition and transfer power to democratically elected institutions”, he said.
He added that Ms. Williams will “continue to support a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned process to address outstanding challenges and ensure the holding of Presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible”.
‘Tangible progress’
In addition to her work surrounding the election, the Special Adviser met with hundreds of people from all regions to lead mediation efforts and engage with Libyan and international partners.
She observed since the UN-facilitated ceasefire agreement was signed in October 2020 and the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum Roadmap adopted in November 2020, “tangible progress” has been achieved.
Against the backdrop of relative calm across the country as the ceasefire continues to hold, she was able to travel on the coastal road between Misrata and Sirte, which was reopened through the efforts of the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC), comprised of military representatives from opposing sides.
During her trip, Ms. Williams was “particularly pleased to witness a shift from a discourse of conflict to one of peaceful dialogue”.
From conflict to ‘peaceful dialogue’
Despite the many hardships endured by numerous Libyans and the pleas of those still displaced by the 10-year conflict, she spoke with scores who had recovered a sense of normalcy.
“Even those who only last year bore arms against each other have continued to come together”, she said.
“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”.
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Arriving in Libya on 12 December, Special Advisor Stephanie Williams emphasized the importance of holding inclusive, free, fair, and credible elections to determine the future of Libyans and end the long transitional period. She noted that elections must be a solution, not a problem in Libya.
Having read the article, it is disappointing to see that Libya has postponed its elections once again. However, it is important for the elections to be inclusive, free, fair, and credible to truly reflect the will of the Libyan people. Let’s hope the new date set within 30 days will bring clarity and progress to the country’s political process.
Did the UN envoy’s statement mention any specific steps to address the challenges faced in organizing the elections within the 30-day period?
Yes, the UN envoy’s statement highlighted the importance of addressing the challenges swiftly to ensure the smooth organization of the elections within the 30-day period. She emphasized the need for inclusive dialogues and transparent processes to overcome the obstacles and pave the way for successful and credible elections in Libya.
Will the postponed elections in Libya truly reflect the overwhelming desire of the people to determine their future? What steps are being taken to ensure the elections are inclusive, free, fair, and credible?
Emily_Writes, rest assured that efforts are being made to ensure that the postponed elections in Libya truly reflect the overwhelming desire of the people to determine their future. Special Advisor Stephanie Williams has been working tirelessly to address the challenges and ensure that the elections are inclusive, free, fair, and credible. Let’s hope for a positive outcome within the new date to be set in 30 days.
I believe that it’s crucial for Libya to hold inclusive, free, fair, and credible elections to move forward from its long transitional period. The Libyan people deserve the chance to determine their own future through democratic processes, and I support efforts to ensure that elections are a solution rather than a problem for the country.
Did the UN envoy provide any specific details on how she plans to address the challenges and appeals related to candidates’ eligibility for the elections in Libya?
Stephanie Williams, the UN envoy, expressed the importance of ensuring that elections are part of the solution rather than part of the problem in Libya. She emphasized the need for inclusivity, fairness, and credibility in the electoral process to meet the genuine hopes of the Libyan people.
Having just read the article, I believe that the UN envoy, Stephanie Williams, is doing a commendable job in striving for free and fair elections in Libya. It’s reassuring to see efforts being made to uphold the will of the Libyan people and ensure a smooth transition towards a more stable future.
Arriving in Libya on 12 December, Special Advisor Stephanie Williams expressed that she has heard the overwhelming desire of Libyans to participate in inclusive, free, fair, and credible elections to shape their future. She added, “Elections must be a part of the solution, not the problem in Libya.”
As a Libyan citizen, I am disappointed that the elections have been postponed once again. It is crucial for our country to have inclusive and credible elections to move forward from this transitional period. I hope that the new date set in 30 days will be respected and will lead to a positive outcome for Libya.
Arriving in Libya on 12 December, Special Advisor Stephanie Williams said that she has heard “time and again the overwhelming desire of Libyans to go to the ballot box to 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”.