UNSMIL Expresses Concern over Withdrawal of Confidence from GNU

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has expressed concern after receiving reports on withdrawal confidence of the Government of National Unity (GNU)

According to the Libyan news agency (WAL), the UN mission affirmed over a statement that GNU remains the legitimate government in the country until it will be replaced by another cabinet after the parliamentarian elections in Libya.

UNSMIL pointed out that the government should concentrate mainly on leading the country to conduct the legislative and presidential elections scheduled on December 24, 2021, and presenting basic services to the Libyan people.

Ján Kubiš, Special envoy and UNSMIL Head, said that the mission expected that the Libyan House of Representatives focuses its efforts to add the final touches to the election bill.

Kubiš added that the UN mission expected that the chairmanship of the House of Representatives works to build a wide-range consent regarding the legislative frame of the upcoming parliamentarian and presidential elections.

The UN mission to Libya urged the House to work on completing the election bill by the next week as a maximum. It encouraged all parties of the political process in the country to adhere to the legal and constitutional frame that regulates the political process in Libya.

UMSMIL called the House of Representatives and all other concerned institutions to concentrate on completing the constitutional and legislative frame ahead of elections scheduled on December 24.

It also warned of any measurements that may cause collapsing the electoral process and unity of the country, its security, and stability.

The mission stressed that the December election should be by the sublime target.

On the other hand, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced that his country is going to host an international conference in Libya next November.

Le Drian explained that the conference, which Germany and Italy will participate in the preparation for, will be held on November 12, and aims to ensure the implementation of the election schedule and to discuss the exit of foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya.

Paris' announcement of the international conference coincides with Libya's preparations to hold elections at the end of next December as new differences emerged between the parties to the Libyan conflict.

However, the "High Council of State" in Libya put forward a road map that includes holding parliamentary elections on time and postponing the presidential elections until after the referendum on the constitution.

Head of the Council of State  Khaled Al-Mashri had  revealed during a press conference in Tripoli that the council had prepared a "constitutional rule" and proposed to include it in the constitutional declaration, as well as a proposal to hold "parliamentary elections to establish a two-chambered parliament (senators and representatives) on December 24."

He said that the goal of achieving stability requires holding parliamentary elections first, and postponing the presidential elections until after the constitutional referendum.

He asked parliament to postpone the presidential elections scheduled for December 24 for at least a year, amid disagreements over the electoral law.

Al-Mashri said that the "High Council of State" believes that "holding the presidential elections in the current period will not generate stability."

He pointed out that the goal is not to hold the elections as a goal in itself, but rather to achieve stability.

He added that after the elections, the entities that "bear the burdens of inconsistencies during the last period" will emerge, such as the Tobruk House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of State, and that "there will be a newly elected parliament that is required to submit the draft constitution to a referendum within a year."

With their due date approaching, Libyans still do not agree on a constitutional basis regulating the conduct of legislative and presidential elections.