UN’s new elections roadmap for Libya garnering further support

On August 21st, UN Special Envoy for Libya Hanna Tetteh presented a new political roadmap to bring about national elections in Libya at the UN Security Council, a plan which is now getting attention and support within Libya and internationally, according to the Tripoli-based Libyan Express on August 22nd.

Tetteh first announced the intention of creating this political roadmap on June 24th, explaining it as a “time-bound and politically pragmatic roadmap that reflects the Libyan people’s demand for tangible change, with the goal of ending the transitional processes.”

According to a spokesperson for the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the first stage of the roadmap involves restructuring the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) and amending electoral laws within two months, to pave the way for negotiations on forming a unified government.

On August 11th the head of the HNEC announced that despite adequate preparations for elections having been made, the lack of political agreement on electoral laws is primarily what is preventing national elections from being carried out.

The roadmap was enthusiastically welcomed by Prime Minister Dbeibah, who heads the UN-backed government in Tripoli, and he also stressed the urgent need for electoral laws, arguing that their absence has been the central obstacle to elections since 2021.

The governance of Libya was split into two administrations in 2011 after the overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, with Dbeibah heading the Tripoli government and Osama Hammad heading the government in the east of Libya, which is aligned with the Libyan National Army and backed by nations including Egypt and Russia.

The European Union has similarly welcomed the new roadmap and urged all active Libyan parties to act quickly in implementing the initial steps outlined.

The EU mission expressed readiness to provide support to the plan where necessary, and reaffirmed support for a national dialogue that prioritises the Libyan people and places them at the heart of the process.

A recent public opinion survey carried out by the UN revealed that the plan most popular amongst the Libyan people is to hold parliamentary and presidential elections at the same time, as soon as possible, as reported in Maghrebi Week on August 24th.

Libya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations warned that the nation’s crisis has been worsened by years of foreign interference, and this, along with multiple setbacks, has led to the Libyan people remaining skeptical of international interference.

Libyan Express, Libya Observer, Maghrebi, Maghrebi Week