UN stresses importance of elections in Libya to end current political impasse

TRIPOLI, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The chief of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Raisedon Zenenga on Monday stressed the importance of holding elections in Libya to end the current political impasse.

Zenenga made his remarks during a meeting with a group of parliamentary candidates in the capital Tripoli, said a statement issued by UNSMIL.

Zenenga assured the delegation that the United Nations believes holding elections is the only way out of the current political impasse, stressing the importance to respect the wishes of Libyan voters and candidates, the UNSMIL said in a statement.

"The candidates emphasized the importance to focus all efforts on holding the elections as soon as possible and the need for the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) to release the candidate list for the elections," the statement said.

The candidates also expressed concern over the current political deadlock and urged UNSMIL to include both presidential and parliamentary candidates in the consultations to facilitate a pathway to early elections, the statement added.

Libya was expecting to hold presidential elections on Dec. 24, 2021. However, the election was postponed indefinitely due to technical and legal issues, according to the HNEC.