Libyan sides sign election agreement within two years
Representatives of Libya’s rival governments signed an agreement in Tripoli that provides for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held no later than within 24 months. The vote must take place under a unified executive authority, said Walid Ellafi, the Minister of State for Political Affairs and Communications of the Government of National Unity.
Signing at the UN mission
The ceremony took place at the UN Support Mission in Libya in Tripoli. It was preceded by the signing of an initial draft of the document on August 20 in Tunisia by the UN-backed “4+4” committee. The committee included four representatives each from the House of Representatives in eastern Libya and the High State Council, linked to the Government of National Unity in the west of the country.
As Al Jazeera English reports, Shibani Abu-Hamoud, head of the general delegation of Khalifa Haftar’s forces, said his side would work with the UN mission on a framework to oversee all matters related to implementing the agreements. It is to be formed within a month after the agreement is signed.
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Terms of approval
The document states that the House of Representatives and the High State Council must approve the agreement within a month. If this does not happen, the sides will adopt it at the national level as a constitutional document, and international support is to come through the UN Security Council.
Libya has been divided between two administrations since 2014: the internationally recognized government and an eastern administration supported by military commander Khalifa Haftar. Analysts are skeptical about the agreement’s success, as the question of who will govern the country during the transitional period remains unresolved. UN mediators have been trying to unite the country since 2011, but presidential elections have repeatedly been postponed because of political disputes.
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