US –European statement welcoming progress in constitutional track talks, stresses need for unified Libyan government capable of conducting elections all over Libya.

Tripoli, 25 June 2022(Lana) The Governments of the United States of America, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom have issued a statement in which they welcomed progress made in the constitutional track talks between the House of Representatives and High State Council in Cairo facilitated by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

‘We welcome the degree of consensus reached so far towards agreement and appreciate the work of Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General Stephanie Williams and UNSMIL, the statement said.

‘We call on the House of Representatives, the High State Council, and their leaders to urgently finalize the legal basis so that credible, transparent, and inclusive presidential and parliamentary elections can be held as soon as possible, as set out in UNSCR 2570 (2021), the LPDF Roadmap, the Libya Stabilization Conference, the Berlin II conference conclusions, and the declaration of the Paris Conference on Libya.'

The statement noted that LPDF roadmap set the expiration of the transitional phase on 22 June, provided that Presidential and Parliamentary elections are held on 24 December 2021, which has not been the case.

‘We stress the need for a unified Libyan government able to govern and deliver these elections across the country, achieved through dialogue and compromise as soon as possible. We firmly reject actions that could lead to violence or to greater divisions in Libya, such as the creation of parallel institutions, any attempt to seize power through force, or refusal of peaceful transition of power to a new executive formed through a legitimate and transparent process, it said.

  ‘We urge Libyan political leaders to engage constructively in negotiations, including through the good offices of UNSMIL, to unlock the executive impasse and agree on a pathway to elections. We continue to expect the full implementation of the 23 October 2020 ceasefire agreement. Violence, incitement to violence, and hate speech are inexcusable and unacceptable.’

The statement stressed that Libya’s resources must be managed in a transparent, responsible, and accountable manner throughout the country, and for the benefit of the Libyan people, and urged Libya’s leaders ‘to agree on the country’s public spending priorities and establish a joint revenue management and oversight structure through continuing engagement with the Berlin Process Economic Working Group.

=Lana=