The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) issued a statement on Friday addressing the ongoing controversy surrounding the recent election of the President of the Libyan State Council.
The statement noted that UNSMIL is closely monitoring the situation following the August 6 session, which has sparked significant debate over the election results.
The UN mission acknowledged the differing positions of the candidates and emphasised that this is an internal issue that the High Council of State (HCS) must resolve independently.
The statement urged all parties involved to act with a sense of responsibility to reach a resolution and bring the crisis to a swift conclusion.
UNSMIL also called on all relevant parties to prioritise the unity and cohesion of the Council, stressing the importance of placing Libya’s national interests above all else.
The election in question, which aimed to appoint the President of the State Council, was marred by disagreements between the candidates, Khaled Al-Mishri and Mohamed Takala.
The controversy arose over a disputed ballot paper. Al-Mishri received 69 votes, while Takala received 68. However, the situation was complicated by a ballot paper on which a voter had written Takala’s name on the back, leading to a dispute over whether it should be counted, potentially equalising the vote count.
Al-Mishri has labelled the current president Mohammed Takala’s decision to postpone the election round to August 20 as “invalid and issued by an unauthorised person”.
In a statement signed in his capacity as HCS president, Al-Mishri asserted his claim to the presidency based on the election results.
He criticised Takala for referring the dispute over a contested ballot to the judiciary, knowing that it lacks jurisdiction in this matter.
Al-Mishri highlighted that the HCS’s internal regulations mandate the council’s legal committee to resolve such disputes, suggesting that Takala’s referral was merely a tactic to buy time.
He emphasised that the live broadcast of the voting process showed Al-Mishri winning with 69 votes to Takala’s 68, under the observation of representatives from both candidates.
Al-Mishri stated that Takala does not have the authority to call for a session or make such declarations.
He noted that the council’s internal rules stipulate that the term of the council’s presidency office is one year from the date of election, indicating that Takala’s term has ended both by election and by the legal timeframe.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Takala has announced that if the judiciary does not resolve the dispute, a new round of HCS presidential elections will be held on August 20.
He suggested that anyone confident in their qualifications should not fear another election round.
