On Sunday, the Chairman of Libya’s High National Elections Commission (HNEC), Emad Al-Sayeh received a Russian diplomatic delegation at the Commission’s headquarters, in Tripoli.
HNEC said in a statement that the visit, which is the first of its kind by a Russian delegation, “comes within the framework of reviewing the Commission’s readiness to organize elections, due to be held this year.”
“The Russian delegation was briefed on the options available to the commission, and the practical and technical preparations that were taken to hold elections in accordance with international standards and principles,” HNEC added.
The Commission briefed the delegation on the terms of reference of the commission, “as a neutral and technical executive administration that has no political role.” It confirmed that its mission is limited to implementing the electoral laws that are referred by the Libyan Parliament.
It indicated that the meeting discussed Russia’s experience in “implementing the electoral processes, and the mechanisms and institutions supervising their implementation.”
The delegation expressed its readiness to support the elections in Libya. The two sides agreed to continue communication to support efforts aimed at making the upcoming electoral processes a success.
The delegation included the Chargé d’Affairs at the Russian Embassy in Libya, Jamshid Poltaev, Counselor of the Embassy, Aldar Yafarov, and Director of Public Relations at the Embassy, Akram Ezzara.
Notably, Russia’s lower Parliamentary chamber, the State Duma, welcomed the 13th constitutional amendment approved by the Libyan Parliament, as well as the formation of the 6+6 Joint Committee to prepare election laws in the country.
According to a statement, the Second Deputy Speaker of the Libyan Parliament, Abdel-Hadi Al-Saghir met with the Head of the International Relations Committee, Leonid Slutsky.
The meeting was attended by Libyan MP, Jalal Al-Shuwaidi and the Russian Ambassador to Libya, Aydar Aganin. The meeting dealt with the political situation, and the latest developments in Libya. The two parties agreed to exchange visits between the Libyan Parliament and the Russian Duma.
Libya was plunged into years of chaos and lawlessness after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. In the chaos that followed, the county split, with the rival administrations backed by rogue militias and foreign governments. The country’s current political crisis stems from the failure to hold elections on 24 December 2021.