The 6+6 Joint Committee, entrusted by Libya’s Parliament and the High Council of State (HCS), has unanimously agreed upon the laws that will govern the impending Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
The decision was finalized in a series of meetings held in Bouznika, Morocco.
The Committee announced its plan to dispatch the approved electoral laws to the Parliament, where they will be formally adopted, before being transferred to the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) to begin implementation.
In a statement released on Thursday evening, the Committee noted that “every decision was made under the scrutiny and ongoing consultation of a UN expert, and HNEC.”
These significant advancements follow a fortnight of intense discussions in Bouznika, between the representatives from legislative bodies, under the auspices of the Moroccan Foreign Ministry.
On Tuesday, the committee revealed the completion of the electoral laws that will oversee the elections. These laws embody an inclusive framework, allowing all potential candidates to participate, without exclusion.
The outcomes from Bouznika have garnered substantial local and international endorsement. Many Libyan parties extolled the efforts of the Committee, and its success in formulating the electoral laws.
On its part, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) reiterated its commitment to work with all Libyan institutions, facilitating conversations among all parties to handle the controversial aspects of the electoral laws.
The Mission called on all parties to “cooperate with a spirit of consensus, to resolve outstanding issues, and to refrain from any delaying tactics aimed at perpetuating the political stalemate.”
US Envoy to Libya, Richard Norland expressed his support for the UN Envoy, Abdoulaye Bathily’s appeal for Libyan parties to “widen consultations to iron out disagreements.”
The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany issued a joint statement praising the Committee’s efforts, and urged UNSMIL to mediate the disputes in Libya.
In addition, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit commented on the agreement, hoping that it will “inspire Libyan factions to surmount hurdles that may impede the final signing of the agreement in the forthcoming days.”
However, the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba pinpointed two primary obstacles, regarding the constitutional law and the roadmap to the elections.
During his latest visit to Rome, Dbaiba asserted that the “constitutional law needs to be fair, balanced, and intended for all Libyans without exception. If this law were approved today, the elections could take place tomorrow.”
The Interim Premier claimed, “Many people are seeking alternative ways to prolong the transitional period, whereas we want to move towards elections, which necessitate a constitutional law. This is not the government’s task. Additionally, the elections themselves fall under the jurisdiction of HNEC.”
Despite these hurdles, Libya is making steady progress toward the scheduled elections, backed by local and international support, paving the way for a more democratic future.
In this context, Mohamed Al-Asmar, Director of the Libyan Nation Center for Strategic Studies, claimed that “heading to elections is feasible, but not merely dependent on creating constitutional and electoral laws, as this phase has recurred multiple times and must now be finalized.”
In press statements, Al-Asmar indicated that “simplifying the real issue to just creating a constitutional base is not accurate. Even if Bouznika’s laws are signed by Parliament Speaker Ageela Saleh, and the HCS Chairman Khaled Al-Mishri, a unified government must be established to oversee and provide security and logistical support for the elections.”
Nonetheless, Al-Asmar cautioned that the primary obstacles to the implementation of Bouznika’s laws are the absence of a unified government and the potential backlash from armed militias.