France pledges 650.000 euros to assist Libya’s municipal elections

France has provided 650,000 euros (752,000 U.S. dollars) to assist Libya’s municipal elections through the UN electoral support project, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) announced on Friday.

French Ambassador to Libya Beatrice Le Fraper du Hellen and UNDP Country Director Sultan Hajiyev signed an agreement on Friday, which is an addition to 200,000 euros France has provided in December 2017, UNDP said in a statement.

“Libyan citizens have clearly expressed their wish to define the future of their country through democratic process. I am awed by their determination. With this contribution, France is keen to assist in the preparation of upcoming elections. We thank UNDP for their commitment to work with the people of Libya and for the people of Libya,” the French ambassador said.

Hajiyev expressed gratitude of the UN for France’s support “as it will enable UNDP to further reinforce its assistance to Libya applying best practices in electoral systems and bolstering the country’s capacities to fulfill democratic aspirations of its citizens.”

“UNDP continues to deliver key support to its Libyan counterparts despite the multiple challenges faced in a complex operational environment,” Hajiyev said.

On Thursday, German Ambassador to Libyan Oliver Owcza and Hajiyev signed an agreement, under which Germany would provide two million euros to assist Libya’s municipal elections through the UN electoral support project.

The UN project, run by the UNDP and the UN Support Mission in Libya together with the Libyan Ministry of Planning, aims to assist the programs of the CCMCE between 2018 and 2020.

Libya has more than 100 municipalities representing different cities and regions of the country.