Libyan Presidential Council reaffirms the necessity of consensus on holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections
Libyan Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed al-Menfi stressed on Saturday the necessity for political factions to reach consensus on holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections to resolve the country’s political crisis.
The Libyan News Agency quoted al-Menfi as saying in a statement that the success of any political consensus in Libya remains contingent on the clarity of its mandate and competencies, respect for constitutional authorities, its capacity to withstand legal challenges, and its ability to be implemented and sustained.
He emphasized that the Presidential Council is following the understandings and arrangements being facilitated by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIS), noting that the ambiguity surrounding some of these arrangements contradicts the transparency that should govern any UN-led process.
He added that Libya does not need arrangements that reproduce divisions or share positions after years of transitional phases, but rather a consensus that ends transitional phases, preserves state institutions, and leads to simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections without exclusion, thereby returning decision-making power to the Libyans.
In a related development, Libya’s High State Council affirmed on the same day that free and fair elections are the best means to end transitional phases, renew legitimacy, and resolve institutional and political divisions, expressing support for any serious national or international effort aimed at achieving this objective.
In a statement on recent political and electoral developments, the Council stressed that any understandings or political outcomes should be based on valid constitutional authorities, respect the competencies of Libyan institutions, and complete their legal process to become enforceable.
The House of Representatives was called upon to assume its historical responsibility and open an urgent and direct channel to address outstanding issues, transforming what can be agreed upon in facilitation tracks into institutional solutions and enforceable legal rules, thereby shortening the path to elections and avoiding a new transitional phase. The House expressed its welcome for any understandings that could bring forward the election date and ensure the integrity of the process leading to it.
UNSMIS had announced on Thursday the signing by Libyan parties of a draft final agreement aimed at resolving the political crisis and unifying the government and institutions capable of leading the country toward elections, following the conclusion of a mini-summit organized in the Tunisian capital.
