The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement on Wednesday that it had repeatedly warned against unilateral initiatives in addressing the political stalemate in Libya, taking note of the approval of a roadmap produced by the 6+6 Joint Committee and the announcement of nominations for a new government by the House of Representatives (HoR).
UNSMIL added in a statement that the political process in Libya was at a critical stage that required an inclusive political agreement with the buy-in and participation of all major stakeholders.
“Unilateral actions, like similar attempts seen in the past, could inflict serious negative consequences for Libya and trigger further instability and violence.” The statement said, indicating that Libya was already suffering from deep divisions, and such moves could cause further polarization amongst the Libyan people, who had been suffering for over a decade.
According to the statement, the UN envoy to Libya Abdoulaye Bathily has been intensifying his engagement with major stakeholders to facilitate a political settlement to make the draft laws implementable, agree on a new unified government, and enable successful elections without delay.
The statement explained that UNSMIL had delivered its comments regarding the framework for elections to major Libyan stakeholders, adding that the document it had communicated was a product of discussions with all major Libyan stakeholders, who highlighted those areas of concern on the electoral framework.
UNSMIL said it "expects that those issues are seriously considered before the electoral framework is finalized in an inclusive manner." It warned against all actions that can undermine the people’s continuous demands for national elections and finally bring legitimacy to Libyan institutions in a peaceful and democratic manner.
"Guided by Security Council resolution 2656 (2022), SRSG Abdoulaye Bathily has been engaging all Libyan institutions and key stakeholders to agree on a roadmap to deliver elections as soon as possible across the country, on a constitutional and legal basis, through dialogue, compromise, and constructive engagement, in a transparent and inclusive manner, aiming at, inter alia, forming a unified Libyan government able to govern across the country and representing the whole people of Libya." UNSMIL explained.
