LibyaPolitics

Some parties try to undermine National Conference to maintain positions: Salamé

Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ghassan Salamé said on Friday “some Libyan parties” are trying to undermine the National Conference, organized to prepare for the long awaited elections.

These parties work on delaying the elections, hoping to remain in their positions, he added in his speech to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in Libya.

“Competing interests are natural; however, they should not undermine state rebuilding and institutional reunification,” Salamé said.

He called on political parties to reach a consensus and complete legal requirements needed to approve the referendum on the draft constitution and holding the election in Libya.

“Given the criticality of the event, it is vital that the National Conference is held under the right conditions, with the right people, and that it is capable of concluding with an outcome that is agreeable to the broad majority,” he added.

As for the political situation in Libya, Salamé explained that without national leadership, Libya will not reach stability. He called on Libyan politicians to prioritize national interests over their own political aspirations.

Commenting on the deteriorating situation in the south, he urged the government and international community to “move swiftly and decisively” in support of the southern Libya.

Salame’s statement came a few days after the Libyan Observatory for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms rejected the roadmap set by the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to hold the Libyan National Conference, which is expected to pave the way for the elections.

“The conference will not succeed, and our experience with the U.N. actions over the years to resolve the crisis proves that,” the Observatory said in a statement.

It added that if the conference did not succeed, the U.N. Peace Keeping and Security Missions will intervene in Libya, driving the country into a spiral of chaos.

The House of Representatives (HoR) bears the political and legal responsibility for the instability because it has been unable to reach consensus on the referendum, which led to delaying the elections that were set to be held in December 2018, according to the statement.

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