The UN on Tuesday insisted that Libya must first hold a constitutional referendum before 2018 election to ensure political transition.
Director of Political Affairs of UN Support Mission in Libya, Anwar Darkazally, said that the world body wants to see Libya have elections by the end of 2018.
Darkazally said: “The goal of the UN action plan is to end the transition period in Libya. The elections themselves are not the goal before going into the election we need clarity in what the architecture of the state will be afterwards.
“Our failure will be if we go into elections and we create another government, further presidency and we have further multiplicity of the institutions.
“So, the election requires a referendum on a constitution.”
He said at the Valdai Discussion Club’s Middle East Conference in Moscow.
He noted that three elements were needed for the elections to take place the framework itself and its two dimensions: the electoral law and constitutional framework.
Libya has been suffering from a civil war since 2011, when long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown.
Ever since, two rival governments have been struggling for control over the country.
Libya’s eastern regions are governed by the parliament headquartered in the city of Tobruk, which cooperates with the Libyan National Army headed by Khalifa Haftar.
The Government of National Accord headed by Prime Minister, Fayez Sarraj, formed with the support from the UN and Europe, operates in the country’s west, including in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.
In September, a UN Action Plan for Libya was proposed at the UN General Assembly.
The plan seeks to revive the country’s political process by amending the Libyan Political Agreement in order to pave the way to the 2018 elections.
The initiative also envisages the allocation of financial and technical assistance to the Libyan High National Election Commission to prepare for and hold the votes.
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