The UN envoy to Libya, Abdullah Bathily, said that the meeting held in Tunisia on Wednesday, between some members of the House of Representatives (HoR) and the High Council of State (HCS) cannot be a substitute for a broader dialogue with greater participation and a more comprehensive agenda.
Bathily added during a speech addressed to the attendees in Tunisia that he would never support any course of action that would lead to more loss of life in Libya, indicating that the Tunis meeting does not meet the ambition due to the reservations of some parties.
Bathily stressed that this meeting may be a step in the right direction, provided that intentions are sincere, higher interests prevail, and narrow calculations are abandoned, warning of the dangers of reproducing solutions that are unacceptable to everyone and whose outcomes are not implementable.
The UN envoy stressed the need to address the controversial issues that prevented the 2021 elections, stressing that progress cannot be achieved by imposing a new reality instead of real negotiations and a political settlement that includes the main parties.
Bathily renewed his call to the main parties in Libya to participate in his dialogue initiative in good faith and without preconditions.
The head of the UNMSIL concluded his speech to the members of the two councils by saying, “It is time for all major parties to assume their moral responsibility to stop the imminent collapse,” warning that every day that they and the rest of the parties insist on remaining in their positions brings Libya closer to the brink.
