Tripoli, U.S. Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland said there were obstacles facing the conduct of the elections in Libya, related to the legal and political aspects, including the list of presidential candidates.
“These obstacles need a national decision at the political level and Libyan political will,” Ambassador Norland said at a press conference on the sidelines of his visit to Tripoli on Monday.
Norland said the U.S. government supports UNSMIL and Stephanie Williams, adviser to the UN Secretary-General, to carry out their tasks for a better future for Libya in relation to the planned electoral process.
The U.S. Ambassador said he met with representatives of civil society, some observers, some of “those involved” in the Libyan politics and a number of presidential candidates, as well as the President of the High National Election Commission, Emad Al Sayeh, who assured him of Commission’s technical preparedness to conduct the elections on set time.
Asked about his country’s position on postponing the elections, Norland said ‘there were a number of scenarios proposed, not all of which were ideal, but they might be worked on and the decision was up to the Libyans, and we believe that the people deserve a unified government.” The Ambassador noted that the obstructers of the elections would be subject to sanctions not only from the United States but also from the international community.’
Earlier Monday, the U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland made a brief visit to Tripoli aimed at assessing the progress of Libya’s electoral process and getting a firsthand account of the preparation for the vote the High National Election Commission.
Source: Libyan News Agency