Dbeibeh tells Norland: Constitutional basis for elections still “unclear”

Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh discussed today holding elections in the country with U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland at the headquarters of the Government of National Unity in Tripoli.

Following their joint talks, Norland publicly stated that Libya has “the technical ability to hold elections, what it needs is the political will,” as quoted by the American Embassy via Twitter.

According to the embassy, Norland spoke to Dbeibeh about “the importance of finalizing a constitutional basis and moving swiftly to elections”.

For his part, the Libyan premier reaffirmed “the need to mobilize the international community to resolve the difficulties that hinder the holding of elections, the most important of which is the constitutional basis, which is still unclear,” as per statement from Dbeibeh’s media office.

“The return of the American embassy to work in Tripoli” as well as “government spending” were also among the topics cited by Dbeibeh’s media office as points of discussion in today’s meeting with the American diplomat.

Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush and Chargé d’Affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Libya, Leslie Ordeman, have also attended the meeting.