By Sami Zaptia.
London, 18 June 2021:
Libya’s Amazigh Supreme Council (ASC) renewed yesterday its rejection of Libya’s draft constitution and the referendum on it, or its adoption as a constitutional basis for a single election, and rejected any constitutional rule – unless all Libyan ethnic components agree on it.
The statement seems to throw a spanner in the attempts to hold consensual, constitutionally based and timely elections on 24 December 2021.
The Amazigh, it will be recalled, withdrew their participation from Libya’s Constitutional Drafting Authority (CDA), the elected body that drew up the current draft constitution, currently awaiting a legally prescribed referendum. The rules for the drafting of the constitution stipulate that all Libya’s minority ethnic groups must approve it.
In its statement following its emergency meeting on Wednesday, the ASC accused unnamed parties of trying to pass agendas that have special goals and interests.
It called for the fair representation of all Libyans in line with cultural and ethnic diversity and geographical distribution, and to ensure a fair representation of Amazigh women in the quota of Libyan women.
The ASC called on UNSMIL, as the official sponsor of the political consensus between the parties, to intervene and establish the consensus in a way that preserves the rights of the components of the Libyan people.
In conclusion, it affirmed its commitment to the unity, sovereignty and security of Libya and that its people will not be neglected, and they will live in it with their freedom and full rights and that their hands are extended for the sake of the homeland.
Bloc of HoR and HSC members call for adoption of draft constitution for a one-off elections
It will be recalled that in two separate statements issued on 10 June, 51 deputies from the House of Representatives and 91 members of the High State Council called for the adoption of the draft constitution, as an interim constitution for one presidential and parliamentary election – without the holding of a referendum on it.
Rejection of the constitution in a referendum
The avoidance of the referendum is to save time and avoid the possibility that the draft constitution could be rejected in the public referendum. Moreover, the results of the referendum would be challenged in court as the Amazigh did not approve the draft constitution.
All this would mean that the 24 December 2021 elections would not be held on time and could put libya in another divisive political cycle that might even lead to renewed fighting.
Despite this, UNSMIL and the international community are pushing Libya to hold the elections on time.
