Libya’s legislative bodies stress political process should follow constitutional declaration
Tripoli: Libya’s House of Representatives (HoR) and High Council of State have stressed that the country’s political process should take place within the framework of the Constitutional Declaration and the Political Agreement governing the work of the two councils, with respect for their respective mandates and powers.
The statement was issued following a meeting between HoR President Aguila Saleh and High Council of State President Mohamed Takala, held under the auspices of Turkey.
The two legislative bodies expressed readiness to host the joint “6+6 Committee” in the coming days to enable it to complete its tasks concerning electoral laws, paving the way for elections.
The “6+6 Committee,” jointly formed by the HoR and High Council of State, reached an agreement in June 2023 on laws governing presidential and parliamentary elections. The HoR later adopted amended versions of the electoral laws in October that year, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The High Council of State objected to some of the amendments but backed the version agreed upon by the committee in the Moroccan city of Bouznika, leading to delays in implementing the laws and a halt to the committee’s work amid continued disputes over a unified executive authority and the conditions and procedures for holding elections.
In a later development, the “4+4 Committee” signed a final agreement on Aug. 30 under the auspices of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. The agreement aims to create conditions for holding presidential and parliamentary elections within no more than 24 months under a single executive authority and unified national institutions.
Key outcomes of the agreement include restructuring the board of the High National Elections Commission and addressing several outstanding issues in the electoral laws, notably allowing military personnel to run and vote in presidential elections and allowing dual nationals to run, provided that the winner relinquishes their non-Libyan citizenship before taking the constitutional oath.
The agreement also sets the number of endorsements required for a presidential candidate at 20,000, and stipulates that the elected HoR will handle the drafting of a permanent constitution for the country.