Speaker of the Libyan Parliament, Ageela Saleh and Head of the High Council of State (HCS), Khaled Al-Mishri announced their agreement to revoke the establishment of new Constitutional Court law.
The two chambers said in a joint statement on Friday, that the step was taken in a move to “fulfill the constitutional entitlement, as a basis for the elections process.”
This decision came “out of a sense of national responsibility, and in appreciation of the current circumstances the country is going through.”
“This joint statement comes to reassure all political parties regarding the controversy over the Constitutional Court law,” the statement concluded.
Last week, Saleh called on the HCS to resume the constitutional dialogue, in order to reach an agreement on the outstanding articles, and end the political deadlock in the country.
The HCS has not yet commented on the Parliament’s request. It announced the suspension of all consultations with the Parliament until the law establishing the Constitutional Court in the city of Benghazi is revoked.
The official Spokesman for Parliament, Abdullah Blaihaig said Saleh called on the HCS to “resume dialogue to discuss the few remaining articles of the draft constitution.”
According to Blaihaig, Saleh stressed that the state is going through “a critical stage that requires everyone to give priority to their interests, to end the current deadlock.”
Last month, Al-Mishri has announced the suspension of talks between the two chambers, after Parliament approved the law establishing a Supreme Constitutional Court based in Benghazi.
Al-Mishri claimed that the Parliament “has no right to establish a constitutional court.” He added that the Parliament’s decision “destroys efforts to reach a consensus on the constitutional path, and deepens the institutional division in the country.”
The Prime Minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba stressed that he “will not step down from power until after a constitution is drawn up for the country, even if it takes 30 years.”