UN Launches New Initiative to Hold Elections in Libya This Year

The United Nations (UN) envoy to Libya, Abdullah Batili, announced yesterday during a briefing to the Security Council that he will launch a new initiative to pave the way for holding legislative and presidential elections in Libya this year.

And Batali added that he will form a high-level steering committee to monitor this initiative.

He said the committee would bring together representatives of key political institutions and figures, tribal leaders, civil society organizations, security officials, and other interested groups.

Batali called for "changing the status quo" to enable Parliament and the High Council of State in Libya to agree on a consensual constitutional basis, leading to "comprehensive and transparent" presidential and legislative elections this year.

The UN envoy added that the current political process "does not live up to the aspirations of Libyans who seek to elect their leaders and revitalize their political institutions." And he considered that “the patience of the Libyans has run out,” and they “question the will and desire of political actors to hold comprehensive and transparent elections in 2023.”