Libya: Saleh and Takala revive the committee responsible for electoral laws

The President of the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, and the President of the High State Council, Mohamed Takala, agreed on Thursday, September 10, in Ankara to reactivate the joint 6+6 committee tasked with finalizing electoral laws. Turkey has expressed its readiness to host a new meeting of the committee in the coming days.

In their joint statement, the two officials asserted that the political process must remain within the framework of the Constitutional Declaration, existing legislation, and the political agreement that governs the powers of both chambers. They expressed a desire to enhance coordination on upcoming national deadlines.

Saleh and Takala also called for the unification of sovereign institutions and the executive authority to reduce institutional division. Takala handed Saleh a letter regarding the composition of the High National Electoral Commission, a document that is to be forwarded to the House of Representatives.

Established in 2023 with six representatives from each chamber, the 6+6 committee is responsible for developing the legal framework for presidential and legislative elections. Its work has been hindered by ongoing disagreements over several provisions, including candidacy requirements and the organization of the polls.

The revival decided in Ankara comes after a new agreement signed at the end of August under the auspices of the UN to attempt to unblock national elections. Just days earlier, a draft agreement had already been signed in Tunis to restart the electoral process.

Libya has remained divided between rival institutions for several years. The national elections scheduled for December 2021 were postponed amid legal and political disagreements, and no new presidential election has since concluded the transition.