German politician Hussein Khodr, Chairman of the Integration Council and a member of the City Council of Hiddenhausen, Germany, stated that Europe, led by Germany, strongly supports all efforts aimed at holding Libyan elections on the scheduled date of December 24, in implementation of the UN political roadmap for Libya. In a statement to "Sky News Arabia" from his residence in Germany, Khodr emphasized that the majority of international forces support the Libyan political roadmap, especially the timely conduct of elections to achieve stability, sovereignty, and unify the Libyan people behind an agreed-upon national political leadership, in order to begin a new phase and close the chapter on a decade-long crisis.
The German politician of Egyptian origin explained that Europe has repeatedly warned of attempts by certain fronts inside and outside Libya to obstruct the elections and undermine the political roadmap. He also noted that during several international events and conferences, the most recent being the one held in Paris on November 12, Europe has called for caution regarding actions taken by some internal powers, supported by external parties, to disrupt the political process in the country.
Khodr pointed out the role Germany has played in unifying European efforts to support a political solution in Libya and intensifying efforts to conduct parliamentary and presidential elections as scheduled, affirming that Germany supports all efforts aimed at ending the Libyan crisis, unifying the ranks, and conducting democratic elections that express the will of the Libyan people.
He also highlighted Berlin's continuous assertions regarding the imposition of international sanctions on those who obstruct the elections. Khodr indicated that there are international forces with interests in maintaining the status quo in Libya, particularly countries that benefit from the current political and economic situation, which have reportedly looted Libyan funds with the help of internal parties over the course of the past crisis years.
He emphasized the necessity of removing all mercenaries and foreign forces from the country and dismantling militias in conjunction with preparations for the upcoming elections, in order to fulfill international recommendations and establish a political solution.
Notably, the final statement issued from the Paris conference on Libya, held on Friday, November 13, supported a comprehensive action plan for the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign forces from the country while emphasizing the importance of holding the elections on time. The final statement called for conducting "free" and "fair" elections on December 24, expressing support for the efforts of the electoral commission to lay the foundations for organizing those elections.
It also indicated support for the work of the UN mission to enhance political dialogue while urging the establishment of a national reconciliation body under the auspices of the Libyan presidential council. On another note, the final statement of the Paris conference regarding Libya asserted the necessity to combat terrorism in the country by all means, stressing the need for urgent initiatives to assist Libyans in disarming. The conference, co-hosted by France, Italy, and Germany, in addition to the United Nations, focused on expanding the circle of participating countries, particularly those concerned with Libyan affairs.
