Special Representative of the Secretary-General Hanna Tetteh met with twenty-eight representatives from the south at UNSMIL’s premises in Tripoli. The meeting aimed to gather their views on the Advisory Committee’s recommendations as part of the Mission’s ongoing public consultations.
The representatives from Sebha, Birak al-Shati’, Murzuq, Ghat, Jufrah, Ubar, Gatroun and Tahala, welcomed the briefing by SRSG Tetteh on the outcomes of the Advisory Committee. They emphasized the importance of equal representation, equitable development, and fair access for all to political mechanisms. They highlighted that any future agreement must reflect the aspirations of all Libyans, especially those historically marginalized.
Participants addressed the representation of cultural components in the political process, saying: “15% is not enough, Libya is ethnically diverse, and we must guarantee fair representation to all Libyans.” Many participants also expressed support for option four, viewing it as a path that would grant Libyans a greater voice in the process but highlighted concerns it could repeat previous failed political processes.
Comprising of mayors, municipal council members and representatives of political parties, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, Political, Stephanie Koury, who briefed the participants on the full process of the Advisory Committee’s report.
UNSMIL published the Executive Summary of the Advisory Committee’s Report in May, including its four proposed options to move the political process forward.
It also launched a public consultation and survey to ask people to put forward their recommendations and ideas and decided which of these options they would prefer:
- Conducting presidential and legislative elections simultaneously;
- Conducting parliamentary elections first, followed by the adoption of a permanent constitution;
- Adopting a permanent constitution before elections; or
- Establishing a political dialogue committee, based on the Libyan Political Agreement to finalize electoral laws, executive authority and permanent constitution.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
