The UN mission to Libya establishes a team to provide solutions for the electoral deadlock

A committee was established by the U.N. Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Tuesday to provide solutions for the controversial problems impeding the holding of the eagerly anticipated national elections.

Since an election that was supposed to take place in December 2021 fell through because to disagreements about the eligibility of the leading candidates, a political process to end more than ten years of strife in Libya has been put on hold.

Libya, which was divided in 2014 between eastern and western groups with competing governments ruling in each, has not seen much peace since an uprising supported by NATO in 2011.

The advisory committee’s seven female and 13 male members were identified in a UNSMIL announcement, which also stated that they will meet for the first time in Tripoli the following week.

“The role of the Advisory Committee will be developing technically sound and politically viable proposals for resolving outstanding contentious issues to enable the holding of elections,” according to UNSMIL.

It said that the committee’s recommendations will be sent to the Mission “for consideration for the subsequent phase of the political process.”

“Neither a decision-making body nor a venue for discussion is the Advisory Committee. The Mission clarified that it is time-bound and anticipated to finish its task quickly.

According to UNSMIL, members were selected based on their professionalism, knowledge of constitutional, legal, and/or electoral matters, empathy for Libya’s political difficulties, and capacity for reaching compromises.

A U.N.-backed procedure in 2021 created a Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli under Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, but the House of Representatives (HoR) in Benghazi no longer acknowledges its authority.

Dbeibah has pledged to hold nationwide elections before handing over control to a new administration.

Many Libyans are skeptical that their political leaders are negotiating in good faith because they think they are reluctant to hold elections that may deprive them of their jobs.

“Libyans are aware of the damaging effects that the current political divisions are having on their country, its unity, sovereignty and stability,” said the Mission.

As part of a 2015 political deal, the High State Council in Tripoli was established from a 2012-elected parliament, whilst the House of Representatives was elected in 2014.

Abdoulaye Bathily of Senegal was replaced last month by Hanna Serwaa Tetteh of Ghana as the head of UNSMIL and special representative for Libya by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.