Egypt Welcomes Libyan Parties' Agreement to Hold Constitutional Referendum

On Wednesday, Egypt welcomed the Libyan parties' agreement to hold a constitutional referendum before planned elections in the war-torn country later this year, according to the Egyptian foreign ministry.

In a statement, the ministry said that Egypt welcomes the agreement reached today between the Libyan parties in Hurghada in the framework of the constitutional process and appreciates the efforts that led to the agreement to hold a referendum on the draft constitution in view of the Libyan elections scheduled for December 24, 2021.

New talks will be held in Egypt next month with a view to settling the "road map for the referendum and elections", it added.

Oil-rich Libya has been torn apart by civil war since the NATO-backed uprising that ousted long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with an array of militias filling the vacuum and civilian bodies struggling to impose their authority.

The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) is based in the capital, while a House of Representatives which does not recognize the Tripoli administration is based in the east.

A fragile ceasefire between the two sides, agreed in Geneva last October, has largely held despite threats by eastern military strongman Khalifa Haftar to resume fighting.

The meeting was held to "discuss the constitutional arrangements necessary for holding elections on December 24," according to the UN.

In November, elected Libyan officials called for a constitution to be approved prior to holding national elections, but did not challenge the date of the polls.