UNITED NATIONS, June 28 (NNN-Xinhua) — The United Nations’ priority in Libya remains to facilitate a return to the electoral process, a senior UN official said, urging leaders in Libya to resolve outstanding issues to let the long-awaited presidential and parliamentary elections be held.
“We are firmly convinced that elections are the only path to settle the disagreements over the democratic legitimacy of all Libyan institutions,” Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, told the Security Council in a briefing.
DiCarlo commended recent progress following a final round of UN-facilitated consultations on the constitutional basis for the vote, which has been delayed since December.
The talks were held in Cairo, Egypt, and brought together representatives from two rival legislative chambers, the House of Representatives and the High State Council, regarding a constitutional basis for elections.
Delegates reached broad consensus on most of the contentious articles in the 2017 Constitutional Proposal, though differences remain on measures governing the transitional period leading to the elections.
“The meeting was the first time the House of Representatives and the High State Council engaged in a serious review of the Constitutional Proposal since its adoption in 2017,” said DiCarlo.
The outcome marked “a step in the right direction”, she said, noting that leaders will meet in Geneva this week in efforts toward resolution.
“It is my hope the upcoming meeting in Geneva between the heads of the House of Representative and High State Council will lead to a final and implementable agreement that would lead to the elections at the earliest possible date,” she said.
“I encourage this Council and all of Libya’s international partners to call on the leadership of the two Chambers to seize the opportunity presented by the agreement reached in Cairo. It is high time to agree on outstanding issues and make the elections happen,” said DiCarlo. — NNN-XINHUA
