UN says Libya transition talks moving ahead
- The talks in Geneva have been taking place amid a heavy international push to reach a peaceful settlement to Libya’s civil war
- An 18-member committee of representatives from Libya’s different regions has proposed voting on a three-member presidential council
UN acting envoy for Libya Stephanie Williams told a news conference in Geneva on Saturday that the advisory committee’s members “have met their responsibility with a constructive spirit, cooperative efforts, and a great deal of patriotism”.
The committee is part of a 75-member forum that represents all the three main regions of Libya. The 18-member committee has proposed that each region’s electoral college name a representative to a three-member presidential council, Williams said. A prime minister would be chosen by the 75-member forum. A successful nominee should receive 70 per cent of votes.
Williams said that the forum would resort to lists formed from Libya’s three regions, with each list consisting of four names, nominated for the presidential council and a prime minister position.
She said a list should obtain 17 endorsements: eight from the western region, six from the eastern region and three from southern Libya. The winning list should receive 60 per cent of the votes of the 75-member forum in the first round. A run-up is expected if no list received the required votes, she said.
Williams said the forum would vote on the proposed mechanism on Monday and the results are expected the following day.