The United Nations envoy in Libya will launch an initiative to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in the North African country this year and will establish a high-level steering panel, he told the global body's Security Council Monday.
The envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily, said the mechanism would bring together representatives of political institutions, major political figures, tribal leaders, civil society organizations, security officials and other relevant groups.
Libya plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The oil-rich North African county has for years been split between rival administrations in the east and west, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The country’s current political crisis stems from failing to hold elections in December 2021 and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah who led a transitional government to step down. In response, the country’s east-based parliament appointed a rival prime minister, Fathi Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.
