World powers to push Libya election in Paris meeting
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[November 12, 2021]
By John Irish
PARIS (Reuters) - World powers will push
for sanctions against anyone who disrupts Libya's electoral process and
political transition, according to draft conclusions of a conference
they are holding later on Friday in Paris.
The meeting, which will include the leaders of France, Libya, Germany
and Egypt, as well as the U.S. vice president, is aimed at cementing
world backing for the planned vote on Dec. 24 and efforts to remove
foreign forces.
The elections are envisaged as a key moment in a U.N.-backed peace
process to end a decade of violent chaos that has drawn in regional
powers and undermined Mediterranean stability since the 2011 NATO-backed
uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.
The votes for a new president and parliament are still in doubt with six
weeks to go amid disputes between rival eastern and western Libyan
factions and political bodies over the rules underpinning the electoral
schedule and who can run.
The wrangling threatens to unravel the wider peace process, which also
includes efforts to unify long-divided state institutions and to pull
out foreign mercenaries who remain entrenched along frontlines despite a
ceasefire.
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Draft conference conclusions affirmed "that individuals or entities,
inside or outside of Libya, who might attempt to obstruct, undermine,
manipulate or falsify the electoral process and the political
transition" could face sanctions.
The U.N. Security Council has previously agreed sanctions against Libyan
political figures for their role in the conflict. However Russia has
only sent lower-level representatives to Paris, raising questions over
its backing of any positions agreed there.
The document seen by Reuters takes note of the Libyan electoral
commission setting Dec. 24 as the starting date for an electoral process
that would extend to a later second-round presidential vote on the same
day as a parliamentary election.
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![](../images/111221PIX/news_s35.jpg)
Libyans are seen through a Kingdom of Libya flag during a
celebration rally in front of the residence of Muammar Gaddafi at
the Bab al-Aziziyah complex in Tripoli September 13, 2011. REUTERS/Suhaib
Salem
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INCLUSIVE
The foreign powers want an "inclusive" election - a stance that
would likely allow all potential candidates including divisive
figures seen as unacceptable in large swathes of Libya as well as
serving officials to run.
A French presidential official told reporters at a briefing some
actors were ready to seize on any ambiguities to advance their own
interests.
"They are obviously waiting to ambush and try to derail the
electoral process," the official said.
Paris initially aiming to have the Turkish and Russian heads of
state attending, but Ankara has joined Moscow in sending lower level
representatives, perhaps demonstrating the complications with
removing foreign forces.
Mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group are entrenched alongside the
eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which was supported in the
war by Moscow, along with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
The former Tripoli government had support from Turkish regular
forces in Libya as advisers, and from allied Syrian fighters, the
Turkish government has said.
Diplomats have said Turkey was unlikely to act before there were
departures from the east.
(Reporting by John Irish; Writing by John Irish and Angus McDowall;
editing by Grant McCool and Andrew Heavens)
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