Türkiye joined six other countries and a U.N. official calling for progress in Libya's elections. They urged on Sunday a finalized path of the 6+6 committee responsible for overseeing the electoral process in Libya to set a clear road map for the country’s elections.
The statement was made during a meeting between the chairperson of the Tripoli-based High Council of State, Khalid al-Mishri, Assistant Secretary-General and U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Coordinator Raisedon Zenenga and representatives and envoys of the European Union, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Egypt in addition to the online participation of the U.S. and German envoys. According to a statement, the meeting touched on the results achieved through the 6+6 committee commissioned to set laws to regulate the electoral process in Libya.
The Libyan 6+6 Joint Committee was formed by Libya’s House of Representatives and High Council to prepare the electoral laws. The statement noted that the foreign envoys hailed the committee’s work and stressed the importance of completing the process through a clear road map for holding the elections. On Friday, the committee said the election laws it has set are final and in force, and the upcoming elections will be based on them.
Libya has been torn by civil war and instability since the ouster of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Elections in the North African country were due in December 2021 but were never organized as disputes persisted on key issues, including who should stand in the polls. The country remains split between a nominally interim government in Tripoli in the west and another in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
Among the contested points are the candidacy of dual nationals and soldiers. Haftar also holds U.S. citizenship, and his detractors accuse him of seeking to restore military dictatorship in Libya.
Türkiye and Libya have seen closer ties in recent years, especially after the signing of security and maritime boundary pacts in November 2019, along with Türkiye’s aid to help the legitimate Libyan government push back Haftar’s forces.
In the recent Libyan crisis, Türkiye supported the U.N.-recognized legitimate government in Tripoli against Haftar, backed by Egypt, France, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Russia. Türkiye’s support for the Tripoli government was critical in repelling the Haftar forces’ offensive to capture Tripoli's capital. It led to a period of stability, resulting in the formation of a unity government. In the current situation, Türkiye suggests that an election reflecting the will of the Libyan people should be held to establish a long-lasting and stable government in the country.
