Libya stability will not come through elections alone, says UN special envoy

The UN special envoy to Libya said on Monday that stability and institutional legitimacy in the North African country will not come through elections alone.

“We in the United Nations believe that the solution should be sustainable, and to achieve this it must be taken by including all Libyans in the process,” said Abdoulaye Bathily, “so we call on all Libyans to meet and consult with each other, and make the compromises and concessions necessary to reach a Libyan-Libyan solution and an agreement.”

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya and Head of the UN Support Mission (UNSMIL) made his comment during a joint press conference with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat.

“We are working hard with all partners, including Morocco, in addition to partners in the international community, to achieve this,” added Bathily. “Our main goal is for all of us to move towards the same path.” He stressed the need to work to restore security and stability in Libya as soon as possible.

Bourita shared his view that the issue of political legitimacy in Libya will only be resolved through elections. The Libyan people, he said, are the ones with the right to choose who has the authority to manage the country’s political affairs, and they will do this through presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Moroccan minister added his hope that all parties will work to overcome the obstacles facing the preparation for the elections, in order to reach a consensus to hold them as soon as possible. He pointed out that Morocco stands with all Libyan parties, and believes that they are the key to solving the crisis.

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