Rallies were held in several Libyan cities on Friday in protest against deteriorating living conditions and poor services.
Protesters in the country, including the capital Tripoli, were demanding an improvement in services, such as electricity.
A statement from Tripoli demonstrators expressed concern over the “spread of corruption and poverty as political forces, whose term had ended, continue to cling to power to no end.”
The protesters also voiced their support for holding elections in the country as advocated by the United Nations Mission in Libya.
The presidential and parliamentary polls have been set for December 10.
The protesters also accused the Tobruk-based parliament of “obstructing the referendum on a new constitution in order to remain in power for as long as possible.”
Moreover, they accused Italian policies in Libya of being completely biased towards the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.
Italy’s Ambassador to Libya Giuseppe Perrone dismissed the protests, saying: “We accept and respect the rallies when 20 or 30 people protest against Italy.”
He told local Libyan television Friday that a “solid constitutional authority was necessary to hold the upcoming elections, push forward the national reconciliation and achieve stability.”
“The Libyans are suffering from many problems and they deserve better services,” he continued.
Moreover, Perrone revealed that the Italian government was prioritizing Libya and it was planning on organizing an international conference on Libya in the fall.
He noted, to that end, that three Italian ministers from the new government had paid a visit to the North African country in less than a month.
In a sign of disputes with France, the envoy said that Rome does not advocate holding the Libyan elections by the end of the year at any cost.
The elections will only lead to more instability, chaos and conflict, he warned.
“The Libyans do not want polls, and yet, Italy will be happy to hold them if the conditions are appropriate,” Perrone said.
On the ground, kidnappings in Tripoli were on the rise with a senior official in the GNA becoming the latest victim.
On Saturday, gunmen abducted head of the Awqaf and Islamic affairs body Abbas al-Kadi. Security sources said that he was taken to an unknown location. The motives behind the attack remain unclear.
