Libya: UN-backed state council sees election of new chairman

The High Council of State (HCS) of Libya voted in an UN-endorsed election for its new leadership with Mohammed Takala elected as its chairman, according to The Libya Observer on July 27th. 

The new President was elected after achieving 59 votes in the first round of voting during the council’s session, held in Libya’s capital of Tripoli, to elect its presidency. The election of the council’s chairman and two deputies was attended by 95 members, representing more than two-thirds of the council. Takala’s contenders in the election included Ali-Al Sweih, Ali Juwan and Naju Mukhtar, who received 13, 14 and 8 votes, respectively. 

However, former chairman Khaled Al-Mishri, Takala’s main leadership rival since August 2024, preemptively rejected the July 27th session, claiming it is an “illegitimate election for the presidency of the High Council of State” and insisting he remains the legitimate Chairman of the HCS. This dispute over the council’s leadership between Takala and Mishri began in August 2023 following failed mediation by members over a controversial election session.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) endorsed the election and its results. In a statement, UNSMIL congratulated the election of the new leadership, which it stated as occurring under normal and transparent conditions, and reflected a newfound broad consensus between all parties involved. It continued to express its support for breaking the political deadlock in Libya and restoring legitimacy to the country’s institutions. UNSMIL reaffirmed the duties of the HCS as outlined by the Libyan Political Agreement signed in December 2015. The HCS remains the foremost UN-backed advisory body in Libya and can express a binding opinion on decisions made by the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity and the Tobruk-based House of Representatives. 

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, congratulated the election of the new Chairman. He reiterated in a Facebook post that the session was based on the members’ commitment to unity and national will, emphasising his government’s support of all efforts that will reinforce Libya’s political stability. The Prime Minister called for greater coordination among institutions to fulfil the Libyan people’s aspirations by ending the prolonged transitional phase and bringing about direct elections. 

Direct elections in Libya have been postponed multiple times since the cancellation of a scheduled election in December 2021 due to ongoing internal disagreements and conflict. The UN has helped arrange municipal elections, with voting scheduled to take place in mid-August 2025. UNSMIL has long attempted to coordinate a roadmap towards inclusive democratic elections.

Despite authorities suspending voting in eastern Libya, UNSMIL remains focused on organising these elections, seeing them as a key step towards building a lasting and inclusive political process in Libya. 

The Libyan Observer, Maghrebi