UN Envoy to Libya stresses support for producing inclusive elections laws

Tripoli, May 14

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily has stressed the UN's support for the country's joint legal committee to produce inclusive laws for elections.

Bathily on Saturday made his remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the 6+6 committee at the headquarters of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in the capital Tripoli, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 6+6 committee is a joint legislative committee composed of six members from the High Council of State and six members from the House of Representatives (parliament), with the task of producing laws for the upcoming elections.

"Bathily reiterated the importance of the committee's role and responsibilities to produce the laws necessary to hold general and inclusive elections in Libya," UNSMIL tweeted.

"Bathily renewed the Mission's offer to provide all required support to enable the committee to conclude its work as soon as possible," UNSMIL said.

Libya failed to hold general elections in December 2021 as previously scheduled due to disagreements over election laws among the Libyan parties.

Earlier in January, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah said his government is ready to hold general elections in the year 2023.

Ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid escalating violence and political division.