Tripoli— The Libyan Advisory Committee (AC) has resumed discussions in Tripoli after a paus for Eid Al-Fitr holiday aiming at developing a “comprehensive proposal” that could help Libyan authorities deliver a long-delayed national elections within a certain timeframe, a statement by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Saturday.
The AC will be discussing throughout April “the contentious issues in the current electoral framework with a view to developing a comprehensive proposal with options to support Libyan institutions deliver inclusive and credible national elections within a realistic and implementable timeframe,” said the statement.
It was established by UNSMIL in February in line with UNSC Resolution 2755, and is tasked with reviewing the existing Libyan electoral framework. It is expected to come up with creative, appropriate and politically applicable solutions to contentious issues within a short timeframe.
However, it does not serve as a decision-making body or a dialogue forum.
UNSMIL is hoping that the Committee could finalize its report this month, “ensuring that the proposals are technically sound and politically viable”.
The twenty-member committee will rely on existing Libyan references and laws, including the Libyan Political Agreement, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum Roadmap, and the “6+6” electoral laws, which resulted from a the joint committee formed by the House of Representatives and the High Council of State.
Libya has been riven by divisions since the NATO helped in toppling Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Libya’s affairs are run by two governments: one in Tripoli, headed by Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, and the other in the east, which enjoys the support of Parliament, headed by Osama Hamad.