UN envoy for Libya submits proposal on elections to forum

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - UN special envoy for Libya Jan Kubis submitted a draft proposal Tuesday for the constitutional basis for upcoming elections to the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) plenary.

The draft proposal was finalized in recent days by the LPDF’s Legal Committee following their meeting in Tunisia’s capital from April 7-9, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement.

“Special Envoy Kubis thanks the members of the Legal Committee, in particular the Drafting Team and the Rapporteurs, for their excellent work and accomplishment,” the statement said.

Kubis will convene a virtual plenary session of the LPDF soon after the Muslim Eid Al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan to discuss the recent proposal, it added.

Formed on Dec. 17 based on a roadmap approved by the LPDF, the Legal Committee consists of 17 members tasked with following the constitutional path for Libya's roadmap towards holding elections.

Libya has recently witnessed positive developments following a breakthrough in which rival parties agreed on Feb. 5 on a unified new executive authority that will govern Libya in the lead-up to national elections on Dec. 24.

Libyans hope the new government will end years of civil war that have engulfed the country since the ouster and killing of strongman Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011.