TRIPOLI, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily on Tuesday urged social celebrities to play their role in preserving the Libyan social fabric and pushing for holding general elections in the country.
Bathily made his remarks during a meeting with a group of celebrities from Eastern Libya in the Eastern city of Benghazi, as part of his ongoing efforts to engage all stakeholders from all over Libya.
"I met a group of celebrities from the east today in Benghazi. I emphasized their crucial role in preserving Libya's social fabric and creating public momentum to reach successful elections," Bathily said on social media platform X.
The celebrities reaffirmed their support for the effort of the UN Support Mission in Libya, reiterated the popular demand for legitimate institutions, and shared their views on resolving the crisis to foster a Libyan-Libyan consensus, he said.
The UN envoy urged the celebrities to take responsibility to utilize their status to generate public support for the electoral process.
Bathily also met with a diverse group of party leaders and representatives in Benghazi, who offered their perspectives and highlighted their future political, economic, and social priorities.
"I shared my assessment of the current political landscape and outlined my ongoing efforts to convene key Libyan stakeholders to find consensus on the issues hindering the electoral process. I encouraged their active and positive engagement in this crucial process," Bathily said.
Ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been plagued by political instability and unrest. The country failed to hold general elections in December 2021 as previously scheduled, due to disagreements over election laws among the Libyan parties. ■
