Rival Libyan leaders warily agree to December election
PARIS — Rival Libyan leaders meeting in Paris on Tuesday tentatively agreed on a roadmap leading to parliamentary and presidential elections on Dec. 10, but the plan faces major obstacles in the North African country, where rival authorities rely on an array of unruly militias.
In an early sign of trouble, the Libyan leaders declined to sign a closing declaration outlining their commitments, which include laying thegroundworkforthevotewith new electoral laws and establishing a “constitutional basis” by mid-september.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who hosted the conference, nevertheless lauded the eight-point declaration as a “crucial step” toward stabilizing the country, which was plunged into chaos after the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Moammar Gadhafi.
“It’s the first time these Libyan leaders accepted to work together and approved a joint declaration,” Macron said at the close of the brief conference, which brought together rivals from Libya’s west and east and representatives of some 20 countries. “Now we have clear commitments for the country, an approved calendar” for elections, he said.
The talks brought together Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, head of Libya’s U.n.-backed government in Tripoli, and Gen. Khalifa Hifter, whose forces dominate eastern Libya.
The conference aimed to forge a political roadmap that would restore order in Libya, where lawlessness has fed Islamic militancy, human trafficking and instability in the wider region. Moving toward parliamentary and presidential elections bytheendof2018wasakeygoal.
Sarraj said there was lingering disagreement over the setting of a “constitutional basis” for the vote, which the declaration said should be done by Sept. 16. He said the two sides had not agreed on whether this entails amendments to the country’s current laws or the drafting of a new constitution.