30 members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) have accused the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) of hindering the voting process for selecting a final mechanism for nomination of new persons to occupy the posts of the members of Presidential Council and the Prime Minister.
The members said in a letter sent to the acting envoy of the UN Stephanie Williams that the amendment of mechanism and addition of new voting proposals are designed to fit certain persons to be able to get nominated.
The members called for scrapping the amendments and urged for continuing voting on the (Second and Third Options) for selection of the new Libyan executive authority.
“After we have arrived so far in the LPDF, there shouldn’t be any efforts to circumvent the completion of voting process to choose the new Presidential Council and Prime Minister." The LPDF members said
They added that if the UNSMIL insists on amending and modifying mechanisms as it pleases, then finishing this track at the LPDF will be useless and the whole dialogue will be of no use.
The 30 members also categorically rejected the UNSML’s attempts to get around the majority vote at the LPDF, saying it was very strange that the UNSMIL had put forth some hindering conditions with the excuse of “consensus”, warning of new political conflicts ensuing out of this UNSMIL’s behavior.
“The majority of LPDF members want to move forward to the second voting round after the first one ended with 55% for the second option of selection.” The 30 members explained.
UNSMIL proposed Sunday two mechanisms to get around the 75% vote percentage on the Second and Third Options of nomination as both options didn't get the required percentage.
Obsevers believe the new proposals by the UNSMIL aim to allow HoR Speaker Aqila Saleh and Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha to win Head of Presidential Council and Prime Minister posts consecutively after it had eliminated the option that banned officials who held state positions since 2014 from running for the new executive authority posts as it got 65% in the voting process.
