Libyan dialogue meetings kick off in Geneva to prepare for national election

GENEVA, Feb 1 (MENA) - Meetings of the Libyan political dialogue kicked off in Geneva Monday under the auspices of the United Nations and its acting envoy to Libya Stephanie Williams, a statement by the UN Support Mission in Libya said.

The UN envoy hailed the meetings which are due to last till February 5, saying they would pave the way for national election on December 24, 2021.

“I also want to commend your courage. Despite the very real risks the COVID-19 pandemic poses, you have again and again demonstrated admirable determination in coming together in the service of your country. Your fellow Libyans will recognize the sacrifices you have made for the sake of Libya”, Williams told the participants.

“With the adoption of the Roadmap in Tunis you have made important progress to respond to the aspirations and the demands of the Libyan people for a sovereign and unified Libya and for the restoration of democracy, for a true commitment to national reconciliation in word and in deed, for the return of all of those who have been displaced and in exile, for the renewal of the legitimacy of your institutions, and for the need to provide basic services to your people, ‘ she added.

“First and foremost, you have put an indelible mark on the calendar for the holding of national elections on December 24th of this year. This decision was greeted with the overwhelming approval by your compatriots and it is a commitment which must be honored at all costs. Reaching this far and achieving this progress in the political dialogue has been an arduous journey fraught with challenges, many of which you have managed to overcome with your wisdom and remarkable persistence,” she said.

“After the closing of the one-week period on 28 January for the submission of nominations for the positions of the Presidency Council and Prime Minister, and following the verification process, UNSMIL published the list of candidates on Saturday. I want to commend the members of the three-person verification committee for their efforts. I am encouraged by the high number of nominations that you put forward, and I welcome the diversity represented by the pool of candidates who are drawn from all political and social components of the Libyan society," added Williams.

"It is a positive sign that this process -- your process -- has inspired a high degree of buy-in and enthusiasm. While the selection of the interim unified executive is not an election in the traditional sense, open competition is good for democracy. This is the kind of competition that can only take place when the guns are silent,’ she said