Consultative meetings between the Speaker of the Libyan Parliament, Ageela Saleh and Head of the High Council of State (HCS) Khaled Al-Mishri kicked off at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva. Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Libya, Stephanie Williams is partaking in the talks.
Saleh praised Williams’ important role in resolving the Libyan crisis, and welcomed the attendance of Al-Mishri.
Saleh said that the meeting “is an opportunity to reach a convergence of views between the members of the committee in charge of the constitutional rule.”
He pointed out that the Parliament was “seeking reconciliation to achieve peace and stability, and to solve the problem of displaced persons.”
Saleh also affirmed his full keenness for “the Libyan people to choose their rulers without foreign interference, through fair and transparent elections.”
Williams said earlier that the talks will focus on finalizing transitional measures and holding elections.
Libya’s Presidential Council (PC) has threatened to use its sovereign power if Saleh and Al-Mishri failed to reach an agreement on the upcoming elections. Tribal leaders urged the PC’s Head Mohamed Al-Mnifi to issue a Presidential decree ending the work of the Parliament and the HCS, and holding Parliamentary and Presidential elections as soon as possible.
Chairman of Libya’s High National Elections Commission (HNEC), Emad Al-Sayeh said earlier that the elections could be held in December 2022 if the two bodies agree on election laws by July.
“The commission will be able to set a date for the polling day in December, if it receives the approved electoral legislation in July. If we do not receive this next month, Libya’s elections will have to be postponed, because we would be unable to hold them at that time, similarly to last year,” Al-Sayeh told Al-Ain news.
The long-awaited Libyan elections were supposed to be held on 24 December 2022. HNEC said that a “force majeure” prevented it from organizing the elections, after political parties failed to reach an agreement.
The Parliament has withdrawn confidence from the Government of National Unity (GNU) led by Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba and appointed Fathi Bashagha to replace him. Dbaiba has since refused to cede power to his rival.