US: Libya's leaders 'must compromise' to meet people's desire for elections

Washington's special envoy to Libya calls for essential preparations for national poll in December

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah at the UN in New York.

US special envoy to Libya Richard Norland urged the country’s leaders to compromise to meet the people’s expectations and hold elections at the end of the year.

Mr Norland spoke during a visit to Tripoli on July 26 to meet interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah. He said that Libya’s leaders must make preparations to ensure that December’s elections go ahead, including determining a constitutional basis and the election law that will govern them.

Mr Norland said free and fair elections were "an essential step towards a stable, unified, and democratic Libya”.

The UN envoy to Libya, Jan Kubis, said this month that the impasse between the North African country’s squabbling politicians puts the planned elections in jeopardy, raising the risk of a return to widespread conflict.

He said stability and continued political progress to end years of civil strife will lead to greater economic opportunities, foreign investment and prosperity for Libyans.

During Mr Norland’s visit, he attended a signing ceremony for a 5G telecoms contract between Libyan company Hatif and the US company Infinera.

Libyan sides earlier this year announced a ceasefire in a long-running battle between divided administrations in the east and west of the country. The halt in hostilities allowed for talks to nominate Mr Dbeibah as interim leader and pave the way to elections to reunify the country’s leaderships.

Separately, senior US State Department official Joey Hood held talks in Algeria addressing regional security issues including the conflict in the Sahel, Libya and Western Sahara, officials said on Monday.

Mr Hood, the acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, was received by Algeria's new Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra on Sunday, according to the Algerian Foreign Ministry.

The pair discussed "prospects for the promotion of peaceful political solutions to the various crises undermining the peace and security in North Africa and the Middle East", it said.

They also discussed the fight "against terrorism in the Sahel" and "the situation in Libya, Mali and Western Sahara".

Mr Hood "had fruitful discussions" including with Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane, the US embassy said.

The US official "highlighted Algeria's steady leadership in regional security", and also discussed opportunities for "expanding US business investment in the Algerian economy".

David Schenker visited Algeria in January while he was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, while former US secretary of defence Mark Esper held talks in the country in October.