The High Council of State (HCS) has expressed surprise at the joint statement issued by the embassies of Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, France and the United States in Libya, regarding their indication that the current time is not appropriate for making changes in positions related to preparing elections in Libya.
In a statement Friday, the council considered the embassies statement an interference in the internal affairs of Libya. "The violation of Libyan sovereignty does not only mean the presence of foreign mercenaries on the ground but rather through an attempt to impose foreign political dictates that are categorically rejected," the HCS said.
The council stressed the need to hold the elections on time on solid constitutional foundations, insisting that the independence of the Libyan decision cannot be compromised.
It called on the ambassadors not to go beyond their tasks set by the diplomatic norms. "The foreign ambassadors hould observe the laws of the host country, abide by them, and not jump over them under any pretext," the statement read.
The embassies of the five countries have recalled in their statement the Security Council Resolution 2570 calling for the Libyan authorities and institutions, including the Government of National Unity and the House of Representatives, to facilitate the elections of December 24, 2021, and to agree on the constitutional and legal basis for the elections by July 1, 2021.
The statement added that in addition to the political and security arrangements, technical and logistical preparations are important and essential, stressing that now is not the time for any "disruptive changes" at the relevant bodies which have a fundamental role in preparing for the elections, within the timescale set out by the Security Council Resolution.
