Egypt’s FM highlights frustration among Libyans as outgoing GNU fails to hold polls on time

CAIRO – 17 February 2023: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has highlighted the state of frustration in Libya as the outgoing Government of National Unity (GNU) has failed to fulfill its commitments in holding elections at the specified time.

Shoukry made the remarks in a speech during his participation in a meeting of the African Union High-Level Committee on Libya on Friday on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Political uncertainty has continued in Libya as Dbeibah, chosen as the country’s prime minister in February 2021 following lengthy United Nations-sponsored talks, has failed to hold elections originally scheduled for December 2021.

Egypt has affirmed more than once that the government of Dbeibah has become an outgoing government since it has failed to hold elections on 24 December 2021 and end the transitional period as per a UN plan on that date.

In his speech, Shoukry called for concerted efforts of the African committee to support the constitutional path in Libya and the crystallization of electoral laws in order to hold presidential and legislative elections simultaneously in the country.

He affirmed the need to hold the elections in Libya under the supervision of a neutral executive authority that is free from the pursuit of personal interests in order to restore the sovereignty and stability of the sisterly Libya in line with the will of the Libyan people.

Shoukry stressed that Egypt was and will remain supportive of the Libyan people, their choices, and the continuous international and regional efforts to achieve their aspirations.

In this regard, the top Egyptian diplomat highlighted Egypt's efforts towards resolving the crisis in Libya, emphasizing Egypt's continuous cooperation with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) within the framework of commitment to the path of achieving a Libyan-Libyan solution.

This especially includes supporting the constitutional path between the House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of State, which has witnessed the achievement of a lot of progress, Shoukry stressed

Shoukry expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Libyan Parliament as the only elected legislative body in Libya and the Supreme Council of State.

He also reiterated Egypt's rejection of any external dictates to the Libyan brothers or transgression of Libyan institutions in accordance with the Skhirat Agreement.

Shoukry reaffirmed the need to stop foreign interference in Libyan affairs and highlighted the importance of removing all foreign forces, foreign fighters and mercenaries from the Libyan lands, and also supporting the 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission.

Last month, Speaker of Libya’s House of Representatives Aguila Saleh and Chairman of the Higher Council of State Khaled Al-Mishri agreed on drawing a “clear and specified” roadmap later in order to hold the long-awaited elections as they held talks in Cairo.

Egypt has also hosted earlier rounds of talks within the framework of the UN-sponsored Libyan constitutional track meetings between delegations from the East-based Parliament and the High Council of State to pave the way toward elections.