Published on : 14/06/2022 – 02:19
For the third consecutive day, consultations for the determination of a legal basis to be used for the holding of elections in Libya continue on Tuesday, June 14 in Cairo. These discussions, with the members of the joint Libyan commission made up of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, an advisory institution, follow one another under the aegis of the UN.
Launched on Sunday under the auspices of the UN, this third round of talks should last a week. For the Libyans, these discussions seem to be the last chance that might lead to elections. The special adviser to the UN secretary general urged the opening of these talks on the Libyan rivals to establish a constitutional framework. She considered that a significant progress was carried out in Cairo during the first two rounds of its discussions.
This optimism displayed by the UN, the majority of Libyans do not share. They seem rather reluctant and even apprehensive regarding the outcome of this third and final round of talks in Cairo.
A third of the points of the proposed legal text are still the subject of tension, in particular the conditions to be met to be a presidential candidate, as well as the definition of the role and powers of the president of Libya.
Disagreements that prevent the protagonists from reaching a compromise. These same dissensions, which have persisted for years, have also prevented the holding of the elections scheduled for last December.
critical moment
Many Libyans, exhausted by 11 years of division, conflict and state dysfunction, are also aware that the power in place does not really want these elections, and that the political class clings to power. This as had been notified, on several occasions, by UN reports. This political class does not facilitate the organization of the elections either despite its displayed good will, affirm several specialists.
This latest round of talks in Cairo therefore comes at a critical time for Libya, torn between two governments vying for legality and power. A failure of the Cairo talks might be fatal and lead to new military conflicts.
The government in Tripoli illegally following June 21
Moreover, time is running out. The 2020 political agreement in Geneva had established with the UN a timetable and a roadmap for exiting the transition period. This calendar ends on June 21, ending the transition period. The institutions installed in Tripoli will then become illegal.
Another difficulty: the United Nations support mission in Libya (Manul) expires at the end of June. Last January, this mission was only extended for six months, instead of a year, for lack of agreement within the United Nations.
Russia demands to have a special envoy assigned to Libya in place of the American Stephanie Williams. She was sent to this country as an adviser to the UN Secretary General. No one has yet been named, which risks adding complications to this conflict due to divisions within the Security Council.
