The UN is not giving up the lengthy fight for Libyan elections

On July 14th, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) launched a new initiative of public opinion surveys to collect Libyans’ views on how the nation should move forward, according to Libya Review.

The goal of the UN’s mission, founded in 2011, has been to facilitate an “inclusive Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process,” prioritizing democratic elections, which are yet to take place but would ideally bring about political stability.

The failure to conduct elections has led to UNSMIL being extended multiple times.

UNSMIL was created after a NATO-backed uprising and the killing of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011 split the country into two rival administrations in the east and west, with armed militias a serious and growing threat to the citizens and governments.

The UN has consistently backed the Tripoli government, whilst the eastern government is supported by foreign forces, including Egypt and Russia.

This new project is collecting views from Libya’s citizens on how the nation should move toward democratic and uncorrupted national elections, and therefore aligns with UNSMIL’s goal of having the nation’s future be “Libyan led.” So far over 10,000 Libyans have responded.

The UN’s Special Representative for Libya, Hannah Tetteh, stated that “we want to listen to Libyans from all communities and all regions. A truly inclusive process is the only path to national unity and election.”

According to the Libya Review, the survey focuses on four key proposals developed by an advisory committee.

The issues it explores include the conditions for a peaceful transfer of power, mechanisms for political continuity, and public trust in the process.

Any progress that comes from this new initiative will be argued by the UN as legitimate as they are attempting to ensure that a significant cross section of Libyan residents give their input.

The survey is done online, but UNSMIL is also conducting two telephone surveys to reach those who don’t have internet access.

They are also specifically trying to reach minorities, women, the disabled, and those living in the south and east regions which are controlled by the rival administration.

This initiative is far from the UN’s first stab at progress. Only on June 24th, Tetteh announced that by mid-August, she would present a political roadmap to end transitional processes in Libya.

The UN’s recent efforts have been disrupted by violent clashes between armed militias in the capital of Tripoli, but local elections progress has been made, with a timeframe set and distribution of voter cards beginning on June 28th.

However, only days after the progress in eastern Libya was completely halted by the authorities there, which the Libyan Crimes Watch has blamed Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army and the eastern government entirely for, accusing them of deliberately sabotaging the elections.

Whether this new initiative of UNSMIL’s will get elections back on track depends on whether they face more interruptions, from either the armed militias who are threatening war with Tripoli’s government, the rival government in the east, or strongman Haftar and his forces.

Libya Review/Maghrebi