The governments of France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the US have welcomed the outcomes of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum’s (LPDF).
In a joint statement, they welcomed its “vote in favor of the selection mechanism for a new interim executive authority, which will guide Libya toward national elections on December 24, 2021,” describing this as an “important step towards Libyan unity.”
They added: “The LPDF’s decision affirms the clear demands of the Libyan people that it is time for a change of the status quo.”
Further, they encouraged “all Libyan parties to act urgently and in good faith to finalize the adoption through the LPDF of a unified and inclusive government.
“As participants in the Berlin Conference process and international partners of Libya, we will lend our full support to the LPDF’s efforts. We also welcome the UN Secretary-General’s appointment of Jan Kubis as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Libya, and the appointments of Raisedon Zenenga as the UNSMIL Coordinator and Georgette Gagnon as Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, and we will fully support them in their important roles.
“We express our ongoing gratitude to the Acting UN Special Representative, Stephanie Williams, for her continuing steadfast leadership of UN mediation until Mr. Kubis takes up his position,” they continued.
Moreover, they stressed that they “must continue to support a ceasefire, restore full respect for the UN arms embargo, and end the toxic foreign interference that undermines the aspirations of all Libyans to reestablish their sovereignty and choose their future peacefully through national elections.
“It is crucial that all Libyan and international actors support steps toward full implementation of the Libyan ceasefire agreement signed on October 23 of last year, including the immediate opening of the coastal road and removal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries,” they said.
Meanwhile, the UNSMIL welcomed the meeting of the constitutional committee in Egypt’s Hurghada. The Constitutional Committee is formed by the House of Representatives and the High Council of State.
The mission hailed the declared commitment of the two delegations to hold national elections on December 24 in response to the overwhelming demand of the Libyan people to renew the democratic legitimacy of their institutions via the ballot box.
Egypt said it “appreciates the efforts that culminated in the agreement to hold a referendum on the draft constitution in preparation for holding the Libyan elections.”
“Egypt aspires to host the third and final round of the constitutional track next February, in presence of the Libyan High National Election Commission to set a roadmap for both the referendum and the elections,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry added in a statement.