UN accuses LPDF of overriding peace roadmap for its own interests

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) denied on Saturday allegations that claim that it allowed the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) to discuss proposals which aim to obstruct the general elections in December. Instead, the U.N. Mission accused the LPDF members of making such proposals for the sake of their own “partisan and particular interest”.

“With regards to statements circulated by social media accounts accusing UNSMIL of allowing the discussion of proposals that fall outside of the LPDF Roadmap or aim at changing the Roadmap, the Mission reiterates that its role is to bring Libyan together and facilitate their discussions or to mediate, provided parties are ready for mediation and for working for a compromise,” the U.N. Mission said in a statement today.

“It is the LPDF members – authors of the Roadmap – that often propose ideas and solutions that deviate from the Roadmap,” the U.N. said. “And some of which put to question some of its basic premises with the argument that they don’t correspond to the current realities and that it was over-ambitious”.

“The mission continuously reminds the LPDF and its members as well as other relevant institutions to honor in their proposals and action their ambition expressed in their Roadmap to work for the holding of elections on 24 December,” the Mission said.

“However, they often follow their partisan and particular interest, and their actions represent the divides that characterize the broader Libyan society, instead of working for compromises in line with the Roadmap.”

UNSMIL pointed out that it had publicly reiterated “on a number of occasions” that “proposals that do not lead to the holding of elections on 24 December should not be entertained.”

“It is the LPDF and its members that need to act in line with the objectives of their Roadmap and work together for its objectives, for a compromise, if it wants to remain relevant,” the Mission concluded.