The UN initiative to get Libya elections held

Special Representative for Libya and head of the UN’s political mission in the country, Abdoulaye Bathily, said the political process remains protracted and falls short of the aspirations of Libyans, who seek to elect their leaders and reinvigorate their political institutions, UN News reports.

According to the report, the Special Representative said he has also met with General Khalifa Haftar, head of the so-called Libyan National Army, a rival administration to the UN-recognised Government of National Accord for the upcoming elections.

“In short, Libyans are impatient,” he stressed, noting that they are widely questioning the will and desire of political actors to hold inclusive and transparent elections in 2023, as planned.

Libya has grappled with multiple crises since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, who had led the oil-rich nation since 1969, and the UN has been working to support a peaceful resolution ever since.

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