New York - Tripoli: Europe and the Arabs
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Libya, Abdallah Batili, stressed the importance of holding elections. He said that the Libyan people are "concerned about the continuing division" that could create a situation that threatens to lose Libya's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In an exclusive interview with UN News, Batelli - who also heads the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) - said there is a need for a unified government that creates conditions for an environment conducive to holding elections. He added that the country could not tolerate the formation of another interim government.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya affirmed that he is committed to working with all Libyans to restore peace and stability to the country, which will also spread to the entire region.
And on the results of his recent intensive consultations with the main parties in Libya. Abdullah Batili said: I conducted intensive consultations with the main Libyan players. And I met not only the leaders of the institutions, but also Libyans from all walks of life. I have been to different parts of Libya in the east, south and west. I visited several cities and met citizens who were interested in the future of their country. As you know, Libya is going through almost ten years of conflict, ten years of temporary arrangements, ten years of division.
I believe that now is the time to end this chapter of division and conflict so that the Libyan people can have the stability and peace they desperately need. He added that Libya has enough resources to enjoy prosperity. This is really the Libyan people's call. The stability and peace of Libya is not only for the Libyan people, but for the entire region, which has suffered greatly from this conflict.
When I look at the Sahel region, since 2011 it has been witnessing conflict and the rise of extremist groups, jihadist movements and all kinds of criminal gangs roaming the Sahel and Sahara as well as Libya's immediate neighbors in North Africa. Hence, peace and stability in Libya today is not only for the sake of the Libyans, but also for the sake of its neighbours. This is why I am committed to working with all Libyans to restore peace and stability. In response to a question about his visit to many areas in Libya recently and meeting Libyans from all walks of life. What feelings did they convey to you, and what does the situation look like on the ground? Abdallah Batili said: Libyans on the ground yearn for peace and stability. They want elections because it is the only way to restore institutional legitimacy. The Libyans need these institutions, and we are waiting for the establishment of these institutions. All those current institutions that have been around for a long time, whether judicial or legislative organs, are outdated. There is a need to renew the legislative council, whether it is the House of Representatives or the High Council of State.
He added Libya today has two governments, one in the east and the other in the west. This situation could raise more concerns about the future of a country suffering from divided political, security and military leaderships. If this continues, Libya may fall into the midst of a long-term division that may create a situation in which the country loses its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Libyan people are very worried about this, they want their country to remain a united nation. This is very important to them. And that is why we, as an international community, must heed that call for unity, that call for the restoration of Libya's sovereignty.
This is why I continue to call on all regional and international players to stand with the United Nations, and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), to help Libyans restore their sovereignty over their country.
In response to a question about the recent issuance of a statement by members of the UN Security Council urging the Libyan political institutions and the concerned parties to redouble their efforts to complete the course of conducting the elections as soon as possible. How can this invitation constitute a driving force for your mediation efforts in order to achieve security and stability?
Abdullah Batili said: I always call on all international players to speak with one voice and act accordingly. As I said, it is important for Libya to go to elections. For many years no elections were held. The elections were supposed to take place in December 2022, and unfortunately, they have been cancelled. The House of Representatives and the High Council of State met and assigned the 6+6 Committee to draft electoral laws. That committee has prepared draft electoral laws. However, electoral laws are not enforceable as they are, as they need to be amended, fine-tuned, and scrutinized.
It was not only UNSMIL that spoke about the loopholes in these draft electoral laws, but the High National Elections Committee also pointed out the shortcomings in the electoral laws developed by the 6+6 Committee.
We hope that these laws will be considered very soon by the 6 + 6 committee, as well as by the two councils, so that they are fine-tuned and made enforceable. Once all of these electoral laws are in place, a roadmap for scheduling the elections can be reached.
But in addition, the issue is not only related to electoral laws, or the legal basis for elections. The issues are very political.
  We believe that the issue of uniting the government is not just a legal or constitutional issue, it is a very political issue. So the political leaders have to meet and reach an agreement to form a united government that will lead the country to the elections.
And when I talk about a unified government, it is not another provisional government. The country does not need and cannot even afford another provisional government. We need a unified government that will create the right conditions to create a political environment conducive to holding elections. I think this is the thing that all Libyans want today. They do not want more than two or three governments at the same time. that they They want one government for Libya and one army for Libya. They want a single security apparatus for Libya, not only to secure the electoral process, but also to secure the conditions of citizens.
And the way to contain the repercussions of the recent violent clashes that took place in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, between the two largest armed factions there at the beginning of this month? Abdullah Batili said: These events are very unfortunate, and we condemn them. As you know, this led to the loss of life among the civilian population, with the number of victims reaching 50 or more people. this is unacceptable. Both groups are there to secure the citizens, not to shoot them. This is why we believe it is important to have a unified government that exercises its authority not only over the army, but also over the security groups across the country.
Libya cannot afford this, and the Libyan citizens do not want their country to be led any longer by fragmented security and military institutions. In response to a question about what he said in his recent briefing to the Security Council that efforts to create a Libyan mechanism for transparent management of public funds have finally borne fruit. What can be done to build on this positive development?
Abdullah Batili: This is a positive development, and I commend the role of the President of the Presidential Council. After extensive consultations with various stakeholders, namely the leaders of the institutions, they agreed to put in place a Libyan mechanism to supervise the state's spending because the citizens of Libya want to use the country's money and wealth for their benefit. There is also a need for more accountability and transparency, and this is what the Libyans want.
We hope that this mechanism will be further strengthened, and we support it and are ready to assist the existing structure.