By Abdullah Alkabir, political writer and commentator

International powers are in no hurry to look into the Libyan crisis, impose a path that leads to ending the conflict, and drive all active forces into the political scene to resolve the race for leadership through elections.
While waiting for a move to resolve the crisis through an international window, the acting UN envoy came out with a new initiative based on forming a committee of experts to look into the controversial issues of election laws, then put forward proposals to address them, after which it would look into governance issues, forming a new government its appropriate options, then a new dialogue will convene to discuss committee of experts’ outcomes and adopt what it deems appropriate.

Without discussing details, controversy and disagreement that will arise regarding the committee, in terms of the affiliations of its members, and the extent of their agreement, it seems the path that Ms. Koury is taking will be long, and there are no guarantees that the results will ultimately be in the interest of the Libyan people.

All initiatives, dialogues and proposals are taking place between the poles of the de facto authorities, and what does not suit any party in power will inevitably be rejected, meaning that what is happening is simply recycling the crisis, and with it recycling this waste that has been tyrannical without any mandate or legitimacy.

 As for the path which is in the people's interest, is clear, simple and easy, through clear options that UNSMIL can opt to; a referendum on the draft constitution, holding parliamentary elections, or at the very least a referendum of the Libyan people on the disputed articles of electoral laws, then proceeding with one of these options. However, one should be mindful of a reaction to thwart and torpedo any direction that could overthrow, or reduce authority and influence of those in power. UNSMIL must mobilize international forces to threaten with sanctions anyone who may try to obstruct the efforts to resolve the crisis. 

In parallel with Koury's initiative, two delegations from the House of Representatives and the High Council of State traveled on a seasonal tourist trip to the Kingdom of Morocco to hold a meeting described as consultative to move the political process forward.

However, the objection of Mohamed Takala, head of the High Council of State, to the meeting prompted Morocco, the host country, to end it quickly and not grant Council member, Khaled Al-Mishri any protocol privileges, or to present him as head of the High Council of State after the clarification made in Takala's correspondence to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of National Unity. 
Therefore, the final statement of the meeting came out with general phrases emphasizing holding elections, ending the transitional phases, cooperating with the UN mission, and continuing communication to support consensus. It could have been written in the corner of any café in Tripoli or Benghazi and would not have required the trouble and expenses of traveling to Morocco. 

Although, there is no light at the end of the international tunnel regarding the Libyan crisis, regional developments in Syria and Palestine, and Russia's military move towards Libya, after the success of the Syrian revolution in toppling their tyrannical ally Bashar al-Assad, may drive Western powers to move to contain the Russian expansion that threatens European countries. This necessarily requires unifying Libya behind a legitimate government that can work with full powers to confront the foreign military presence in all its forms and characteristics.

No government can gain full legitimacy except through elections, so Western powers may agree to develop an integrated strategy to limit the growing Russian influence, and at the heart of this strategy is to push local parties to resolve the conflict through elections. Perhaps the recent reports on crimes and violations, and the preparation of lists of those involved and militias in the East and West, is a step intended to warn political and military parties against any attempt to obstruct the final solutions to be proposed by the UN Support Mission in Libya.

 

Disclaimer:  The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Libya Observer