On Monday, the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar held a meeting with the UN Envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily.
The two officials touched on the latest political developments, emphasizing the urgent need to finalize the electoral draft laws by the 6+6 Joint Committee.
The duo also stressed the importance of creating the right conditions for conducting Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
The meeting served as a platform to review recent developments, with both parties reaffirming the necessity of conducting elections. The focus was on creating a conducive environment that ensures the success and credibility of the electoral process.
Notably, Benghazi hosted a trilateral meeting between Haftar, the Head of the Presidential Council Mohamed Al-Mnifi, and Ageela Saleh, the Speaker of the Libyan Parliament. The three reached a consensus on the outcomes of the 6+6 Committee, regarding electoral laws.
The meeting revolved around entrusting the Parliament with the duty of adopting electoral laws proposed by the 6+6 Committee, once they are finalised.
On 8 August, the Parliament referred the electoral laws to the 6+6 Committee, following certain reservations voiced by the Council.
Abdullah Blaiheg, the Parliament’s Spokesman, pointed out that one of the major rejected clauses was the need for Presidential candidates to undergo two election rounds.
He argued that it’s illogical for a presidential candidate securing 90% in the first round to not be declared a winner, and be forced into a second round. Therefore, the House requested an amendment to this clause, allowing the Presidential elections to be decided in the initial round itself.
Last June, the 6+6 Committee announced its agreement on two draft electoral laws, and referred them to the Parliament and the High Council of State (HCS) for approval.