The different Libyan factions have signed this Sunday in Tripoli an agreement aimed at advancing the "roadmap" towards the expected elections, called to inaugurate a new stage in the country after years of war. The agreed text establishes the foundations for appointing the head of the Electoral Commission and for defining the legal framework of the elections, which should be held within a maximum period of 24 months.
The pact also contemplates that citizens with dual nationality can run for public office, provided that the elected candidate renounces their second citizenship before taking office. Likewise, it opens the door to the participation of military personnel under conditions that ensure their neutrality. The document also establishes that there will be no second round in the presidential elections if the first is resolved by simple majority, and breaks the link between the result of those elections and the legislative ones.
According to the draft circulated by Libyan media, the elections will be held in a "period not exceeding 24 months, under a single executive power and unified national institutions" and, if this unification is not possible, "the parties will work with the UN mission to find the best mechanism to achieve this electoral milestone." The new president of the Electoral Commission will be Ibrahim Dhaw Al-Hammali.
The so-called 4+4 committee includes representatives from the Tripoli Government, recognized by the international community, and from the rival authorities based in the east of the country, who have been in conflict since the civil war that erupted after the death in 2011 of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Since then, Libya's political trajectory has been dominated by institutional fragmentation and episodes of great instability.
A key boost for the electoral process
The main signatories, the Prime Minister of the Tripoli Executive, Abdulhamid Dbeibé, and the high command of the eastern forces, Sadam Haftar, have presented the agreement as a decisive move for the future of the country. Dbeibé has defined it as "An important step" that "strengthens the path we have advocated from the beginning: to end the constant stages of transition to move towards elections."
Haftar, son of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, de facto leader in eastern Libya, has also celebrated a milestone that, in his opinion, "eliminates the obstacles that have long prevented the Libyan people from achieving their aspirations to hold simultaneous presidential and legislative elections as soon as possible."
"This agreement implies that there can be no more delays," he emphasized, before acknowledging his father's role as a key figure in this outcome, "who has supported these efforts and backed any effort that helps the Libyans bring the country to a state of permanent stability."
For the representative of the UN Secretary-General, Hanna Tetteh, "today's signing represents an important step towards overcoming the political and institutional impasse that has delayed Libya's electoral process."
"The responsibility now is to translate this agreement into concrete actions: through its national approval, the implementation of the agreed electoral framework, and ongoing efforts to create the necessary institutional and political conditions for credible elections. The United Nations will continue to facilitate and support this process, while the ownership of Libya's political future remains firmly in the hands of the Libyan people," Tetteh stated.
Internal reluctance and criticism of the process
At the signing ceremony, among others, the president of the High Council of State, the main advisory body of the internationally recognized Government, was absent, who for months has accused the UN of having distorted the electoral process.
Mohamed Takala has expressed in a recent letter to Tetteh his support for holding elections, but emphasizing that they must be based on national consensus and the legitimacy of the institutions. This is compounded by the rejection expressed by several Libyan political formations to the electoral models being debated.
Takala himself has clarified that his absence at the signing this Sunday is a gesture of protest and not a frontal opposition to the agreement. A representative of his signed on his behalf, and furthermore, the High Council of State will have three members on the future electoral board.
Opposition from the Presidential Council
Who has openly positioned himself against the dynamics of these negotiations is the head of the Presidential Council, Mohamed Menfi, who this week denounced on social media the opacity of the process, although his approval is not essential for the agreement to come into force.
"It is unacceptable that certain international parties are granted Libyan documents and agreements related to the future of the country before they are presented transparently to the Libyans, their official institutions, and their national forces," he argued.
"The United Nations Mission must continue to be a facilitator of a process that belongs to the Libyans, not that its procedures become subject to questioning regarding the neutrality and transparency of the process," he added before insisting that "those responsible for the crisis cannot be part of the solution," in an indirect reference to the growing weight of Khalifa Haftar in the talks.