In a joint statement, 31 political parties have called for a roadmap with clear timelines, emphasizing the necessity of a public referendum for any national political agreement to ensure its implementation and pave the way for peaceful living.
This comes in response to the recent meeting of the Libyan House of Representatives and the High Council of State in Cairo, which proposed a roadmap for selecting a new government.
The statement criticized the current political bodies as “lacking legitimacy” and ineffective in resolving the political deadlock, accusing them of contributing to prolonged political paralysis. The parties cited past UN envoys’ reports describing these bodies as illegitimate.
The political factions warned local, regional, and international actors, including the UN Support Mission in Libya, of the severe consequences of the ongoing deterioration and reliance on those responsible for the crisis.
They stressed the need for a genuine solution addressing the root causes of the conflict, rather than the existing power-sharing approach.
The statement underscored the importance of supporting the Libyan people’s desire for elections, reflecting an unprecedented public willingness to participate democratically in choosing legislative and executive authorities.
The political parties called for serious and responsible political dialogue among all Libyan factions, emphasizing the necessity of a new government capable of exerting authority nationwide and preparing for free, fair, and transparent referendums and elections.
The statement highlighted that these parties, along with unions, civil society organizations, and social associations, have developed a comprehensive initiative to resolve the Libyan crisis.
This initiative focuses on addressing the conflict’s root causes and rejects merely superficial solutions.
According to the statement, the agreed solution involves political dialogue among all political parties, resulting in key outcomes to be subjected to a public referendum, including a National Charter for Peaceful Coexistence, a Peace Document with confidence-building measures, a Future Vision Document with key implementation milestones, and a Local Governance Document.
The parties stressed that any political meetings must reflect the Libyan people’s aspirations and include a clear, transparent, and comprehensive roadmap for resolving political, security, and economic crises, not just forming a new government.
Last Thursday’s Cairo meeting concluded with an agreement to form a new unified government and called on the House of Representatives to open candidacy for a “national competence government” to manage the country’s affairs.
The UN Support Mission in Libya welcomed the Cairo meeting, encouraging the involved parties to include other relevant Libyan stakeholders to ensure politically feasible outcomes.