Libya’s warring parties agree to hold elections

SANAA, Nov. 12 (YPA) – Libya’s warring parties agreed Wednesday to hold elections within 18 months, according to the head of the United Nations [UN] Support Mission in the country.

The decision came during the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum [LPDF] which began Monday in Tunisia between representatives of the internationally recognized Libyan government and Khalifa Haftar.

The participants reached a preliminary agreement to end the transition period and hold transparent elections, Stephanie Turco Williams told reporters.

Williams said the agreement is a version of the Suheyrat Agreement, which envisions a political process in Libya.

The new roadmap specifically addresses the problems of displaced people in the country, she said, adding it outlines the steps needed to be taken for a unified governance framework and to initiate a reconciliation.

The scope and authority of the government and Presidential Council, which will manage the transition process, were also discussed during the meeting, Williams said.

The LPDF is a fully inclusive intra-Libyan political dialogue established by the Berlin Conference Outcomes, which were endorsed by UN Security Council Resolutions 2510 [2020] and 2542 [2020].

Participants invited to the forum are drawn from different constituencies based on the principles of inclusivity and fair geographic, ethnic, political, tribal and social representation.

The meeting came at a time when an overwhelming sense of hope has emerged in Libya after the signing of a permanent countrywide cease-fire agreement between the Libyan parties on October 23 in Geneva.