On Wednesday, 48 Presidential candidates in Libya launched an initiative aimed at holding the postponed elections.
The candidates announced that they had handed over their initiative to the United Nations Envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily. They called on the international community to adopt it as a roadmap to end the transitional stages in the country.
The initiative suggests temporarily granting legislative authority to the Supreme Judicial Council, and forming a miniature government.
It includes a roadmap with specific dates to reach the elections, which could not be held on 24 December 2021, due to disagreements between rival parties regarding election laws and candidates.
The initiative calls for handing over power to the elected President and Parliament, within a period not exceeding nine months.
The candidates suggested that the Supreme Judicial Council would grant open leave to the Libyan Parliament, and the High Council of State (HCS). It would dissolve the two opposing governments; and the Presidential Council would assume the executive authority.
“The Supreme Judicial Council shall name within 10 days a Prime Minister who will form a mini-government from figures who have not held sovereign positions in the past,” according to the initiative.
On Tuesday, Libya’s Parliament Speaker, Ageela Saleh said that “the solution that will get the country out of its crisis is to amend the constitutional declaration.” He called on MP’s to “take bold, courageous decisions, and responsibility.”
In a speech he delivered during the session held in Benghazi, Saleh added that the Parliament is “the only legislative body, and the HCS is only advisory.”
The Speaker confirmed that the Parliament will continue to consult with the HCS. He noted that the HCS has not responded to the Parliament’s correspondence, regarding several outstanding issues.
He stressed that “the solution to the Libyan crisis comes through amending the constitutional declaration, and establishing a rule for elections.”
The Parliament Speaker said earlier that elections could be held in or before November 2023.