On Tuesday, UN Special Envoy for Libya Jan Kubis and international partners called on Libyan actors to “quickly establish the constitutional basis for elections” planned to be held in December as part of the war-torn country’s path towards a political solution.
The UN called on all Libyan actors, in particular members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) convened in Switzerland, to make progress in their commitments to facilitate the conduct of the national elections by developing a consensus proposal on a constitutional basis for the elections.
It also reiterated its call for the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, including the opening of the coastal road, as well as the withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign fighters and foreign forces without delay.
According to UN estimates, some 20,000 foreign mercenaries were stationed in Libya in December 2020 and the figure has not changed significantly. Weapon deliveries have not been stopped either.
Libyan delegates began four days of UN-facilitated talks on Monday aimed at creating the legal conditions for elections that they hope will usher in a “new era” for the North African country.
About 75 representatives hope to be able to agree during the talks in Geneva on the constitutional basis for the presidential and parliamentary elections.
“I urge you to overcome your differences and any confidence deficits, focus your deliberations over the next few days on reaching the greatest possible consensus and work constructively to bridge the remaining gaps through compromises,” Kubis said.
Warring factions have been on a ceasefire since October and have all agreed to a temporary unity government and elections.
But privately, some delegates doubt the level of commitment, pointing out that armed groups still have power on the ground, which could potentially undermine justice in a vote.
However, several expressed optimism when the talks began.
The meeting was closed to all media except members of the UN intelligence service in Geneva, who showed pictures of delegates who arrived on Monday afternoon at a hotel outside Geneva, thought to be the same place as talks held earlier this year.
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