UN envoy Abdoulaye Bathily stressed the importance of holding Libyan elections "under a unified government supported by key stakeholders", during a meeting with House of Representatives Speaker Aguila Saleh on Saturday.

Bathily said in a post on X that he met with Saleh in the city of Al-Qubba, adding: "We discussed current political developments in Libya and emphasized the urgency of expediting the legal framework for inclusive elections."

On Aug. 22, Bathily said in a briefing to the Security Council that a unified government agreed upon by all actors "has become imperative to lead the country towards elections," warning that the lack of a comprehensive political agreement paving the way for the ballot "contributes to the deterioration of the situation."

Last week, U.S. envoy to Libya Richard Norland said, "No one wants another interim government in Libya that lasts 5 years," arguing that elections are key to helping the country reunite, legitimize its institutions, and protect its sovereignty.

The French president's special envoy to Libya, Paul Soler, also held a series of meetings last week, including with Bathily, the head of the Presidential Council, Mohamed Menfi, and the head of the High Council of State, Muhammad Takala.

Soler stressed his country's support for the UN envoy's call for the formation of a unified government, with the aim of holding presidential and legislative elections as soon as possible.