An international statement calls for the speedy setting of a new date for the Libyan elections

The United States, France, Britain, Germany and Italy called, on Friday, to expedite the setting of a new date for the presidential elections in Libya, after the failure to hold them on the date that was set for them on Friday.

The five countries said in a joint statement: "We call on the relevant Libyan authorities to respect the aspirations of the Libyan people towards speedy elections by quickly setting a deadline for the elections and publishing the final list of presidential candidates without delay."

The countries called on the authorities to "respect the aspirations of the Libyan people to hold quick elections by quickly setting the date for the polls and issuing the final list of presidential candidates without delay."

The postponement of the Libyan elections, which were scheduled for Friday, December 24, constitutes a new challenge for the Libyans, after more than ten years, which were the bloodiest in the country's history.

The five countries welcomed the statement of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Libya, Stephanie Williams, stressing "our strong support for the continued efforts of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, to promote a Libyan-led process for the holding of free, fair and inclusive elections."

The signatories to the statement further commended the technical and logistical preparation carried out by the High National Elections Commission in Libya to hold the elections as stipulated in the road map of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum approved in Security Council Resolution No. 2570 (2021), as well as the conclusions of the Second Berlin Conference on June 23, 2021 and the Paris International Conference on Libya on November 12, 2021.

In their statement, the states reminded that free, fair and credible elections would allow the Libyan people to elect a unified representative government, and strengthen Libya's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity.

It renewed its call for settling "disagreements over political or military issues without resorting to violence," expressing its "readiness to hold accountable those who threaten stability or undermine the political and electoral process through violence or incitement to violence."

The Libyan House of Representatives will hold an official session, next Monday, to discuss the repercussions of postponing the presidential elections, which were scheduled to take place on Friday, according to a parliamentary source told AFP.

The source indicated that the parliament assigned a parliamentary committee of ten deputies to draw up a draft roadmap for the next phase.

The High National Elections Commission in Libya submitted a proposal to the House of Representatives to postpone the presidential elections by a month beyond their scheduled date on December 24, so that they will take place on January 24.

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