Libya: UN Committee initials draft deal to advance elections

Members of Libya’s 4+4 Committee have initialled an election deal aimed at overcoming political obstacles and moving the country’s electoral process forward, according to the North Africa Post, published on August 20.

The agreement was initialled on August 20 after a series of meetings on political and electoral issues. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said the committee would hold another meeting in Libya before the end of August to finalise arrangements for putting the agreement into practice before its official announcement.

The 4+4 Committee is made up of four representatives from eastern Libya and four from the west. UNSMIL established the committee after the House of Representatives and the High Council of State failed to reach an agreement on electoral laws and the appointment of a new elections commission board.

The committee has been working on a framework for presidential and parliamentary elections, as well as arrangements for electoral institutions. This includes the leadership of Libya’s High National Elections Commission.

The committee’s work is part of wider efforts to address Libya’s prolonged political deadlock and move the country towards national elections.

The draft agreement is intended to help overcome obstacles to the UN-facilitated political roadmap. The move comes as the UN and other international actors continue to push Libya’s political factions towards implementing the roadmap and holding national elections.

In July, UNSMIL said the committee had resolved outstanding issues and agreed to form a working group to prepare the final text of the agreement.

The latest agreement comes as Libya continues to face political and institutional divisions. The UN and other international actors have been pushing the country’s political factions to implement the electoral roadmap, hold national elections and bring an end to the country’s prolonged transitional period.

Earlier discussions by the 4+4 Committee also focused on resolving disputes over Libya’s presidential and parliamentary election laws.

North Africa Post/Maghrebi