PRESS RELEASE : UK Statement on Libyan Independence Day [December 2022]

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said:

We congratulate Libya on its Independence Day, while noting with concern that one year has passed since the postponement of the scheduled elections in Libya on 24 December 2021.

Free, fair, transparent, and inclusive presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible across the country remain the clear will and aspiration of the Libyan people who deserve a unified and democratically-elected government that can govern for the good of the whole country and its people, as well as a legislature with a renewed mandate.

We therefore call on all Libyan actors and key stakeholders to work with SRSG Bathily through compromise and constructive engagement, to fulfil their responsibilities to the Libyan people on the political, security, economic and human rights tracks, in order to deliver long-term stability, security and prosperity. We stand ready to work with all sides in support of these aims and we reiterate our support for SRSG Bathily’s efforts. We call on all actors, including the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the High State Council, to come together under UN auspices to agree swiftly on the constitutional basis. If the two institutions cannot reach an agreement swiftly on a credible electoral roadmap, alternative mechanisms can, and should be used to alleviate the sufferings caused by outdated and open ended interim political arrangements. At the same time, we also commit to supporting inclusive intra-Libyan dialogue under UN auspices.

We further call on all parties to accelerate the full implementation of the 23 October 2020 ceasefire agreement in order to preserve Libya’s stability and unity and fully support the 5+5 Joint Military Commission in that regard.