Libya parties agree to hold elections in December 2021
Participants at the talks in Tunisia "agreed that national elections should take place on 24 December 2021," acting UN envoy Stephanie Williams said.
Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Political Affairs in Libya Stephanie Williams speaks as Tunisia's President Kais Saied listens during the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Tunis, Tunisia, November 9, 2020.
Libyans at UN-led talks have agreed to hold national parliamentary and presidential elections in December next year.
Participants at the talks in Tunisia "agreed that national elections should take place on 24 December 2021," acting UN envoy Stephanie Williams told journalists in a virtual press conference on Friday.
"Reaching elections requires a new executive to unify the country. This requires the establishment of a reformed presidency council and an effective and unified government of national unity," Williams said on a call with journalists.
The decision came during a UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) which began on Monday between representatives of the internationally Government of National Accord (GNA) and Benghazi-based warlord Khalifa Haftar-controlled Libyan National Army (LNA).
The talks follow a ceasefire agreed last month between the two major sides in the country's war.
However, many Libyans remain sceptical that the peacemaking efforts will end nearly a decade of chaos and bloodshed following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.
Turning point for Libya
The LPDF is a fully inclusive intra-Libyan political dialogue established by the Berlin Conference Outcomes, which were endorsed by the UN Security Council Resolutions 2510 (2020) and 2542 (2020).
Participants invited to the forum are drawn from different constituencies based on the principles of inclusivity and fair geographic, ethnic, political, tribal, and social representation.
The participants agreed to establish a new Presidential Council and executive body to manage the transition period and hold the elections with technical support provided by the UN, Williams told reporters.
The duties and authority of the government and council, which will manage the transition process, were also discussed.
Williams announced on October 23 the signing of a "permanent" and immediate cease-fire agreement between military delegations from Libya's warring parties, calling it “an important turning point towards peace and stability in Libya."
READ MORE: UN begins new Libya talks in Tunisia with thrust on elections
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