Hannah Tetteh, who also directs the United Nations Mission in Libya (Little vintage), informed the ambassadors following the elections of the municipal council last week and described a roadmap proposed in the general elections, which should have been retained in 2021.
“” The Libyan people turn to this estimated council for help, in order to ensure a solution to the crisis and to support a political process which will result in unified elections and institutions not a succession of transitional governments ”, it said.
Voting and disturbances
Almost 15 years after the fall of former president Muammar Gaddafi, Libya remains divided between two rival administrations: the internationally recognized government of national unity, located in the western capital of Tripoli, and the rival government of national stability based in Benghazi in the east.
Last Saturday, 26 municipalities successfully held elections despite significant challenges. Ms. Tetteh congratulated the electoral management body Hnec and urged all the candidates to accept the results.
She regretted that all the municipalities that were to participate could not do so, with The Eastern Government gives instructions to suspend electoral processes in 16 municipalities. In addition, the voting equipment has been removed from the region and southern centers.
The efforts to disrupt the vote also took place in certain municipalities in the WestWhere Hnec’s offices in three cities were burnt down or attacked, although the vote took front in two of them.
‘A clear signal’
“At the end of the election day, the participation rate was 71%. It is a clear signal that the Libyan people aspire to elect their representatives. In some regions, it was the first time that all elections have been performing since 2014, “she said.
However, the suspension of elections in the East and to the South “is an equally clear sign that not all of them are determined to support the democratic development of Libya and there is a Urgent need for reset In the political process, ”she added.
In February, USNIML created an advisory committee to provide recommendations to resolve unanswered problems that prevented the national elections.
A report was presented in May and the mission organized nationale consultations on results. He also conducted an online survey so that people share their opinions on the recommendations, with more than 22,500 answers.
“” The message we have clearly received was the desire to stop the cycles of repeated transition periods; preserve and strengthen the unity of the country and its institutions; as well as to renew their legitimacy through presidential and legislative elections; And put an end to what was frequently referenced as a foreign interference, ”Tetteh told council.
Roadmap in the elections
Based on the advisory committee recommendations, comments from the population and lessons learned from the failure to hold elections in 2021: “We are convinced that the political process should Focus on the guarantee of general elections and the unification of institutions through a sequenced approach“She said.
Ms. Tetteh proposed a roadmap built around three main pillars: the implementation of a “technically healthy and politically viable electoral framework” to hold the elections; Unify institutions through a new unified government and a structured dialogue to solve critical problems in order to create an environment conducive to the ballot box.
She estimated that it would take 12 to 18 months to finish the roadmap, which will end in the general elections and several “sequential stages”, in particular the improvement of HNEC capacity as well as the modification of legal and constitutional frameworks to organize complete – legislative and presidential elections.
“Following these two previous stages-which could be concluded over the next two months if there was the political will to do so-there should be an agreement on a new unified government, capable of creating an environment conducive to credible elections while effectively managing the functions of key governance,” she said.
Safety problems
Ms. Tetteh reported developments on other fronts, including the volatile security situation, with increasing militarization of all parties.
She noted that the situation in Tripoli remains very worrying, following the clashes in May. While a fragile truce is held, violations have occurred, although no escalation.
Unsmil has also documented 20 deaths in detention since March 2024, including political activist Abdel Munim Al-Maremi, who died last month in Tripoli, shortly after a liberation order was issued.
“These cases are the latest examples of a widespread and persistent model of serious violations perpetrated across the country with impunity, including against migrants and refugees, in certain cases supplied by disinformation and hate discourse,” she said.
Ms. Tetteh was also alarmed by the forced return of migrants to conflict zones, including Sudan. She noted that Sudanese Kufra refugees go beyond the number of residents, urging donors to intensify support.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
