UN envoy unveils roadmap for Libya toward elections
The top UN envoy for Syria on Thursday unveiled a roadmap that would lead to general elections and unified state institutions in the country.
“We are convinced that the political process should focus on guaranteeing general elections and the unification of institutions through a sequenced approach,” said Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Libya and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, in a briefing before the Security Council.
She proposed a roadmap built around three core pillars: the implementation of a technically sound and politically viable electoral framework aimed at holding presidential and legislative elections, unifying institutions through a new unified government, and a structured dialogue that enables broad participation of Libyans to address critical issues.
This plan will be implemented gradually and as a package. The focus should be on a sequential process with milestones, where each step facilitates the successful implementation of the roadmap toward the organization of national elections, she said.
“I will not set artificial timelines but believe that an overall timeframe of 12-18 months will be required for the successful completion of the roadmap, which will end in general elections,” she added.
“I have no doubt that the path to implementation of the roadmap will be filled with challenges. We will need the unequivocal support of this (Security) Council and other key external actors to contain spoilers and protect the process in order to prevent the mistakes of the past,” said Tetteh.
Tetteh said the sequential steps for the roadmap include enhancing the capacity of the High National Elections Commission and amending the legal and constitutional frameworks for holding legislative and presidential elections.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah welcomed Tetteh’s briefing on the same day, stressing that addressing electoral laws is a key priority within the newly announced roadmap.
In a statement published on his official Facebook page, Dbeibah said that electoral laws have been the main obstacle blocking the electoral process since 2021. He noted that the envoy’s briefing confirmed this issue, making its resolution a pivotal step in advancing the political process.
