United Nations Security Council urges Libya rivals to finalize post-Disaster election laws

livus, 7 months ago

From the article:

He reported progress on the electoral front, highlighting the completion of work by the House of Representatives and High State Council joint committee, or 6+6 Committee, in early October, as well as compromise achieved through laborious deliberations, following which the revised electoral laws were issued by the House of Representatives on 5 October. However, the most politically contentious issues - highlighted in his June and August briefings - remain unresolved. The rejection of amendments made by the High Council of State jeopardize the hard-won gains of the two Chambers, he said, calling for dialogue to head off of one of the rival parties appointing a Government unilaterally.

Also briefing the Council today was Ishikane Kimihiro (Japan), in his capacity as Chair of the Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya, who detailed the Committee's work from 23 August to 16 October.

In the ensuing debate, speakers expressed condolences over the devastating impact of Storm Daniel and emphasized the need for reconstruction efforts to be transparent and accountable. Many speakers underscored the urgency of holding free and fair elections to meet the Libyan people's aspirations and to ensure the stability of the still-fractious country.

The United Kingdom's representative, calling the status quo unsustainable, emphasized the need for an inclusive political agreement. He called on Libya's leaders to engage with the Special Representative, attend UN-convened meetings and make concessions to move forward to elections.

The Russian Federation's delegate urged a Libyan-owned process, without the imposition of external solutions or artificial timelines. Any attempts to use the situation in Libya to solve political and economic challenges around hydrocarbons is unacceptable, he said, adding that it is crucial to do away with foreign military presences through a gradual and consistent withdrawal of all non-Libyan armed groups...

Mozambique's delegate, also speaking for Ghana and Gabon, noting that the 2020 ceasefire agreement is holding, called on the parties to continue showing restraint and compliance. The Libyan authorities must commit to unifying the security forces, despite the complexity of doing so. He went on to call for domestic and international support for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Libya, including protection against human rights violations.

Libya's representative urged the international community to continue to lend support in the wake of Storm Daniel, saying that searchers are still finding corpses as they look for the missing. Despite current conditions, solidarity has been unobstructed, with the Government of National Unity coordinating with others to speedily respond to the crisis. On the political front, efforts must be made to overcome challenges in the aftermath of the adoption of the electoral laws and political actors' observations, he said, calling for pending issues to be addressed through a clear mechanism and timeframe to enable the High National Election Commission to hold free and fair elections as soon as possible...

(article continues with full account of discussion)