U.N. Libya adviser urges focus on elections

A senior U.N. official said on Monday the main focus after the delay of last week’s planned election in Libya should be on ways to move forward with the vote rather than on the fate of the interim government.

The U.N. secretary general’s special adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, told Reuters in an interview that most Libyans wanted an end to what she called “this interminable transitional period”.

The election had been scheduled for Dec. 24 but was delayed after disputes over basic rules including the eligibility of candidates and the judiciary’s role in appeals.

The eastern-based parliament, elected in 2014, is debating how long to delay the election and whether the interim Government of National Unity (GNU) and Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, a presidential candidate, can stay in place.