UN launches fresh attempt to resolve Libya's election impasse

The United Nations will convene a technical committee of Libyan experts in an attempt to resolve contentious issues and put the country on the path to long-awaited national elections, the acting head of the U.N. mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Sunday.

A political process to resolve more than a decade of conflict in Libya has been stalled since an election scheduled for December 2021 collapsed amid disputes over the eligibility of the main candidates.

The new committee of Libyan experts will look for ways to overcome outstanding issues in electoral laws, the U.N. mission's (UNSMIL) acting head, Stephanie Koury, said in a video statement.

They will also look for options to "reach elections in the shortest possible time including with proposed guarantees, assurances and a timeframe," she added.

A Government of National Unity (GNU) under Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah was installed through a U.N.-backed process in 2021 but the parliament no longer recognises its legitimacy. Dbeibah has vowed not to cede power to a new government without national elections.

Libya has had little peace since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, and it split in 2014 between eastern and western factions, with rival administrations governing in each area.

While all major political players in the country have repeatedly called for elections, many Libyans have voiced skepticism that they genuinely seek a vote that could push most of them from positions of authority.

"UNSMIL will also continue to work to help advance the unification of military and security institutions and, with partners, advancing national reconciliation," Koury said.

(Reporting by Ahmed Elumami, editing by Deepa Babington)