The Speaker of the Libyan Parliament, Ageela Saleh, and the Head of the High Council of State (HCS), Khaled Al-Mishri are scheduled to meet in Cairo. This is part of renewed efforts to support the process of agreeing on election laws, and resolving the conflict in Libya.
Local media has reported that Al-Mishri arrived in Cairo on Friday, where Saleh was already present.
This meeting comes as a prelude to the start of prospective negotiations of the 6 + 6 Joint Committee. This is between Parliament and the HCS, and is charged with preparing and drafting election laws in the coming days.
Days ago, Saleh received the Prime Minister of the Parliament-designated government, Fathi Bashagha in Al-Qubba city, eastern Libya.
The two sides discussed the government’s support for the 6+6 Joint Committee.
Bashagha and Saleh also discussed the situation in Libya, in the presence of the Minister of State for Legislative Authority Affairs, Mohamed Abu Zagiya.
Bashagha submitted a draft law prepared on the administration of local government, and the establishment of governorates. The proposal aims to decentralise the state, and deliver services to all municipalities to achieve the principle of justice and fairness.
Notably, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) vowed that it will provide technical and logistical support to the 6+6 Joint Committee to establish electoral laws.
The UN Envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily urged the leaders of the two chambers to expedite the work of the committee, and publish a timebound work programme.
“For elections to take place this year, the electoral laws must be completed in time for the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) to begin implementing the electoral process by early July,” Bathily said in his brief to the UN Security Council last week.
Bathily noted that the Chairman of HNEC, Emad Al-Sayeh informed him that, “while awaiting the electoral laws and the provision of necessary funds, the Commission has started initial preparations for the electoral process.”
He called on the Libyan government to provide HNEC with “all necessary resources to complete its mandated tasks in a timely manner.”
