Libya: US ambassador Norland visits Tripoli amid reports of likely election postponement

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The US ambassador to Libya Richard Norland paid a visit to Tripoli on Monday amid reports of a likely postponement of the 2021 Libyan presidential election.

“The focus of this visit was really on where things are to try to get an assessment of where things are in the electoral process, and so we met with a number of civil society representatives, observers for the elections, and people who are following the political process closely,” he said.

“There are still some issues that need to be resolved in terms of the candidate list and those issues are legal and political in nature and they are still being discussed by the leadership involved,” he added.

The presidential election remains scheduled for December 24, with no official announcement of a postponement having been made.

However, delays to the publication of a presidential candidate list has led to reported concerns among candidates and analysts that the vote was likely to be delayed.

Elections in Libya had previously been planned for 10 December 2018, then again for early 2019 - but delayed both times amid the civil war.

SOT, Richard Norland, United States Ambassador to Libya: “We started off the day visiting a school that also serves as a polling centre, a place where people will go to vote. And it was I thought a very important, symbolic start to the day.”

SOT, Richard Norland, United States Ambassador to Libya: “Not only because this is where people will cast their ballots in Libya’s first presidential election, whenever that election is held, but also because it was a chance to meet some of the young students there.”

SOT, Richard Norland, United States Ambassador to Libya: “The focus of this visit was really on where things are to try to get an assessment of where things are in the electoral process and so we met with a number of civil society representatives, observers for the elections, and people who are following the political process closely.”

SOT, Richard Norland, United States Ambassador to Libya: “It is our sense that from a technical point of view, the electoral process it moving forwards. It is getting ready for elections.”

SOT, Richard Norland, United States Ambassador to Libya: “There are still some issues that need to be resolved in terms of the candidate list and those issues are legal and political in nature and they are still being discussed by the leadership involved.”

SOT, Richard Norland, United States Ambassador to Libya: “And the US role is simply to support this process, to help Libyans decide how to move the process forward.”

SOT, Richard Norland, United States Ambassador to Libya: “And to support [UN Special Advisor for Libya] Stephanie Williams and [Unintelligible] in the role that they play trying to help Libya bring this process to a conclusion.”

SOT, Richard Norland, United States Ambassador to Libya: “The thing that I have told all of the presidential candidates is that we admire their willingness to enter political life because it is not easy.”

#Libya #US #Norland

Video ID: 20211220-059

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