Libyan Political Dialogue Forum

The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) is an intra-Libyan series of meetings started in late 2020, aiming to quickly lead to Libyan elections and to "democractic legitimacy of Libyan institutions".[1] The LPDF continues other elements of the Libyan peace process[2] taking place in the context of the Second Libyan Civil War.

Stephanie Williams, as Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Libya and deputy head of UNSMIL, launched the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in late 2020.

Background

Street protests of the Arab Spring transformed into the First Libyan Civil War in 2011, with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi losing power and being lynched. Transitional arrangements were unstable, leading into the Second Libyan Civil War and rival Libyan governments. In late 2015, the Skhirat agreement proposed an institutional transition to unify Libyan state institutions.[3] The Palermo Conference in November 2018 proposed to hold the Libyan National Conference and national elections in 2019.[4] The April 2019 attack on Tripoli by the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar delayed the peace process, which was relaunched by Ghassan Salamé, head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Salamé's plan included a ceasefire, an international meeting of countries violating the arms embargo of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, and parallel intra-Libyan negotiation tracks divided into economic, military and political components.[2]

Definition

The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum started being named as such in September 2019 under the Stephanie Williams' leadership of UNSMIL as its deputy head, after Salamé's resignation, continuing the political track of intra-Libyan dialogue.[5][6] The aim of the LPDF was defined as being "to generate consensus on a unified governance framework and arrangements that will lead to the holding of national elections in the shortest possible timeframe in order to restore Libya's sovereignty and the democratic legitimacy of Libyan institutions."[1]

Ineligibility condition

UNSMIL, based on a "recommendation from a great majority of Libyan constituencies", set a condition that participation in the LPDF required participants to declare themselves ineligible ("recuse themselves") from positions of political or "sovereign" power in the new institutions to be created.[1]

Groups

The Libyan Youth Track is a component of the LPDF aiming to include youth contributions to the political transition process in Libya. The Digital Dialogue included 1000 young Libyans inside Libya and in the Libyan diaspora. An 18 October 2020 meeting included 40 young Libyans "from various political, ethnic and tribal backgrounds". UNSMIL participants in the 18 October meeting informed participants of the military and economic tracks of the three-track intra-Libyan peace process, and of a human rights track. The participants agreed on recommendations for the LPDF and for the military and economic tracks of the peace negotiations, including specific requirements on the transitional political process. The participants chose their youngest woman member to present their recommendations to the LPDF.[7] The recommendations were divided into eight groups: general comments on the LPDF, security and economic tracks; transitional period executive authority; the draft constitution; elections; the economy; the judicial issues; security issues; and a mechanism for communication with the LPDF. Several participants requested that recommendations of a youth meeting in southern Libya, the "Twiwah document", should be included in LPDF documentation.[8]

Meetings

The LPDF planned to start online virtual meetings on 26 October 2020, and to hold its first face-to-face meeting in Tunisia in early November 2020.[1] Williams held meetings with Libyan mayors from the West, South and East of Libya in mid-October as part of the LPDF process aiming at wide inclusion of social and political groups.[9]

A four-day LPDF Advisory Committee meeting was held from 13–16 January 2021 in Geneva, during which a proposal for the mechanism for selecting a unified executive authority was agreed upon.[10] The following day, Williams participated in an online chat with 1000 Libyans, mostly located in diverse regions of Libya, and others from the diaspora. Polls taken during the online meeting found that 70% found the results of the Advisory Committee meeting to be positive; 76% supported holding national elections on 24 December 2021; 69% supported having a unified executive leading up to the elections; and all supported the 23 October 2020 ceasefire. Some participants expressed worries about "the 'status quo' party" obstructing changes.[11]

New executive authority

On 18 January 2021, 72 of the LPDF members participated in a vote on the 16 January proposal for a unified executive authority selection procedure. The proposal passed, since it attained more than the 63% decision threshold, with 51 voters in favour, 19 against, 2 absentions and 2 absences.[10] The procedure includes electoral colleges, support from the West, East and South of Libya, a 60% initial threshold, and a 50% plus one second round threshold, for the positions in the Presidency Council and for the prime ministership.[12]

References
  1. "UNSMIL Statement on the resumption of intra-Libyan political and military talks". United Nations Support Mission in Libya. 2020-10-10. Archived from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  2. "UNSMIL Convenes Meeting of Libyan Economic Experts to Discuss Establishment of an Experts Commission to Unify Financial and Economic Policy and Institutions". United Nations Support Mission in Libya. 2020-01-07. Archived from the original on 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  3. "Rival Libyan factions sign UN-backed peace deal". Al Jazeera. 17 December 2015. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  4. "Renegade General Khalifa Haftar joins Libya conference in Palermo". aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-14. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  5. "Statement on the HD-Organised Libyan Consultative Meeting of 7-9 September 2020 in Montreux, Switzerland". United Nations Support Mission in Libya. 2020-09-10. Archived from the original on 2020-09-11. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  6. "Libya rivals reach deal to allocate positions in key institutions". Al Jazeera English. 2020-09-11. Archived from the original on 2020-09-11. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  7. "UNSMIL launches Youth Track within the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum; Participants agree on important recommendations". United Nations Support Mission in Libya. 2020-10-20. Archived from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  8. "Recommendations of the Youth Track of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF)" (PDF). United Nations Support Mission in Libya. 2020-10-20. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  9. "A/SRSG Stephanie Williams holds consultative meeting with Libyan Mayors as part of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum process". United Nations Support Mission in Libya. 2020-10-10. Archived from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  10. "UNSMIL announces that LPDF approves the proposal of selection mechanism of executive authority for the preparatory period". United Nations Support Mission in Libya. 2021-01-19. Archived from the original on 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  11. "ASRSG Williams conducts digital dialogue with 1000 Libyans". United Nations Support Mission in Libya. 2021-01-19. Archived from the original on 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  12. "The Selection Mechanism for the Unified Executive Authority Adopted by LPDF Members" (PDF). United Nations Support Mission in Libya. 2021-01-19. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
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