TRIPOLI – Members of the Governance Track met for five days between 1 to 5 February in their second formal session, and focused on the electoral bottleneck, including completing the Board of the High National Election Commission and overcoming the impasse on amending the electoral framework.
Members examined options of working with the two chambers and alternatives to the two chambers and made concrete recommendations on both, stressing the importance of the upcoming briefing by the Special Representative to the Security Council.
“The point of the Structured Dialogue is that it is Libyan-Libyan so that members can come up with recommendations for Libya’s future, which in turn can support UNSMIL efforts,” said Special Representative to the Secretary General, Hanna Tetteh, explaining that it was important that members lead the process and develop practical and implementable recommendations.
“We want to be clear that the recommendations put forward across all tracks will be pragmatic solutions developed by Libyans on how they want their country to move forward,” added SRSG Tetteh.
The discussion on the electoral framework built on the 6+6 electoral laws and the recommendation of the Advisory Committee. Members noted that the existing laws highlight the political disagreements in the country and that to move forward it would be important to understand the fears and guarantees behind this.
“The second round of the Structured Dialogue Governance Track moved from general principles to procedural and structural details with everyone's participation. We are now formulating practical understandings to ensure institutional transparency, with a focus on overcoming traditional disagreements” said Mohammed Makhi, a member of the Structured Dialogue Governance Track from Ghat.
Other members said the second round of discussions were more in-depth and realistic with a focus on dismantling the real bottlenecks hindering the political process. “The most important aspect of this round was the broader understanding that technical solutions alone are insufficient, and that any successful path must be feasible and enjoy a minimum level of political and institutional consensus,” said Ashraf Boudouara, a member of the Structured Dialogue Governance Track from Bayda.
“Resolving the vacancy crisis on the HNEC Board is crucial, as HNEC is the backbone of any credible electoral process. Without a complete, adequate, and independent Board, confidence in the electoral process will remain questionable, and any future elections will be vulnerable to challenge or disruption. Addressing this issue is a fundamental step towards restoring trust and creating a conducive environment for successful elections,” added Ashraf Boudouara.
On the final day members of the Governance Track, alongside the SRSG, met with the members of Political Working Group of the Berlin Process and Layla Ali Ahmed Alwjali presented on behalf of members the key recommendations emanating from their deliberations. An interactive session with Ambassadors and representatives then took place with several highlighting their support of the members’ efforts and the UNSMIL-facilitated roadmap.
The Governance Track’s work aligns with UNSMIL’s mandate to use its good offices to facilitate an inclusive, Libyan-owned and led political process, without determining outcomes, and to advance consensus on governance arrangements toward elections and long-term stability. It will continue its work in March.
The Structured Dialogue is not a decision-making body for the selection of a new government but rather will explore concrete recommendations to create a conducive environment for elections and address more immediate governance, economic, national reconciliation and human rights, and security challenges to strengthen state institutions. By examining and developing policy and legislative proposals to address long-term conflict drivers, the work of the Structured Dialogue will aim to build consensus on a national vision that will shape the path to stability.
