Libya: Security Council urged to back popular ‘yearning’ for national elections

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Recent elections in Libya are a sure sign of the people’s desire to choose their own representatives, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the country said in the Security Council on Thursday. 

Hannah Tetteh, who also heads the UN Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), briefed ambassadors in the wake of municipal council elections last week and outlined a proposed roadmap to general elections, which should have been held way back in 2021.

“The Libyan people look to this esteemed Council for help, to ensure a solution to the crisis and support a political process that will result in elections and unified institutions not a succession of transitional governments,” she said.

Voting and disruptions

Nearly 15 years after the fall of former President Muammar Gaddafi, Libya remains split between two rival administrations:  the internationally recognised Government of National Unity, located in the western capital of Tripoli, and the rival Government of National Stability based in Benghazi in the east.

This past Saturday, 26 municipalities successfully held elections despite significant challenges.  Ms. Tetteh commended the electoral management body HNEC and urged all candidates to accept the results.

She regretted that not all municipalities that were expected to take part were able to do so, with the government in the east giving instructions to suspend electoral processes in 16 municipalities. Additionally, voting materials were withdrawn from centres across the region and the south.

Efforts to disrupt the vote also occurred in some municipalities in the west, where HNEC offices in three cities were set on fire or attacked, although the vote went ahead in two of them. 

‘A clear signal’

“By the end of polling day, voter turnout was 71 per cent. This is a clear signal that the Libyan people are yearning to elect their representatives. In some areas, this was the first time any elections have happened since 2014,” she said.

However, the suspension of elections in the east and south “is an equally clear sign that not all are committed to supporting Libya’s democratic development and there is an urgent need for a reset in the political process,” she added.

In February, UNSMIL established an Advisory Committee to provide recommendations for resolving outstanding issues that have prevented national elections from taking place.

A report was presented in May, and the Mission has been holding nationwide consultations on the outcomes. It has also conducted an online survey for people to share their opinions on the recommendations, with more than 22,500 responses. 

“The message we clearly received was the desire to stop the cycles of repeated transitional periods; preserve and strengthen the unity of the country and its institutions; as well as to renew their legitimacy through presidential and legislative elections; and end what was frequently referenced as foreign interference,” Ms. Tetteh told the Council.

Roadmap to elections

Based on the Advisory Committee’s recommendations, the feedback from the population, and lessons learned from the failure to hold the 2021 elections, “we are convinced that the political process should focus on guaranteeing general elections and the unification of institutions through a sequenced approach,” she said.

Ms. Tetteh proposed a roadmap built around three core pillars: implementation of “a technically sound and politically viable electoral framework” towards holding the elections; unifying institutions through a new unified government, and a structured dialogue to address critical issues in order to create a conducive environment for the polls.

She estimated it would take 12 to 18 months to complete the roadmap, which will end in general elections and several “sequential steps”, including enhancing HNEC capacity as well as amending the legal and constitutional frameworks for holding full elections – legislative and presidential. 

“Following these two prior steps – which could be concluded over the next two months at most if there were the political will to do so – there should be agreement on a new unified government, capable of creating a conducive environment for credible elections while managing key governance functions effectively,” she said.

Security concerns

Ms. Tetteh reported on developments on other fronts, including the volatile security situation, with increasing militarisation of all sides.

She noted that the situation in Tripoli remains of great concern, following clashes in May.  While a fragile truce is holding, violations have occurred, though no escalations.

UNSMIL also documented 20 deaths in custody since March 2024, including political activist Abdel Munim Al-Maremi who died last month in Tripoli shortly after a release order had reportedly been issued. 

“These cases are the latest examples of a widespread and persistent pattern of grave violations perpetrated across the country with impunity, including against migrants and refugees, in some cases fueled by disinformation and hate speech,” she said.

Ms. Tetteh was also alarmed by the forced return of migrants to conflict zones, including Sudan. She noted that Sudanese refugees in Kufra exceeds the number of residents, urging donors to step up support.