The US envoy to Libya, Ambassador Richard Norland, announced his rejection of any electoral process that “increases instability” in Libya, emphasizing the need to settle the ongoing dispute over the candidacy conditions.
In an interview with Al Arabiya Al Hadath news channel on Monday, Norland renewed his confirmation of the United States’ support for the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, to hold elections during 2023.
“The identity of the candidates for presidential elections must be resolved because it previously caused the postponement of the elections,” Norland said, adding that many candidates are “controversial figures, and Libyans must decide their stance on them.”
“We do not want an electoral process that increases instability, and agreement must be reached on how to manage it,” he explained, noting that “those who wish to run for elections cannot be part of their supervision”.
Norland stressed during the interview that “the political agreement is one of the basic elements for holding elections,” adding it is necessary to make progress in the dossier of withdrawing mercenaries from Libya to support this file.
Regarding the return of the US embassy to work from Libya, Norland said that “opening our embassy in Libya is related to the security situation.”