Takala declines to attend ‘4+4 Group’ agreement signing

The High Council of State (HCS) announced that its Head, Mohammed Takala, had declined to attend the signing ceremony for the “mini-meeting – 4+4 group” agreement, stressing that his position does not constitute a rejection of the roadmap or of holding elections in Libya.

In a letter addressed by Takala to UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya Hanna Tetteh, the HCS said it supports elections as a national imperative and an inherent right of the Libyan people, while stressing that the political process must be based on national consensus and institutional legitimacy.

The HCS noted that some previous understandings, particularly the outcomes of the 6+6 Committee, had been bypassed, including provisions concerning the restructuring of the Board of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC).

Takala stressed that Libyan parties should be involved in shaping agreements before being invited to attend signing ceremonies, adding that the HCS position is aimed at ensuring genuine national consensus that paves the way for successful and sustainable elections.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is preparing to hold the agreement’s signing ceremony at its headquarters in Tripoli after attempts to sign it in Benghazi last Thursday stalled for reasons that were not disclosed.

Several Libyan parties have expressed dissatisfaction with the agreement brokered by UNSMIL between representatives of Khalifa Haftar and representatives of the Government of National Unity. Opponents of the agreement, including the HCS and the Presidential Council, said the 4+4 Group lacks the legitimacy required to announce a roadmap for the country’s next phase.

Libyan political parties have also rejected the agreement’s outcomes and threatened to take the matter to the constitutional judiciary over the exclusion of party lists from parliamentary elections, with candidacy restricted to individuals.