HoR approves parliamentary election laws

By Sami Zaptia.

London, 5 October 2021:

Libya’s parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR), approved in yesterday’s session the law for the country’s parliamentary elections planned for 24 December 2021.

The new parliamentary election law was discussed and voted on, live on air, article by article, and was based on the current law that elected the current parliament in 2014.

Only minor amendments made to save time and avoid division

Very few amendments were made to Law No. (10) of 2014. Parliament rejected numerous attempted fundamental amendments, deciding to stick to the current law to avoid delay and division.

Amendments to presidential election law and HNEC suggested amendments rejected

Attempts to reopen the controversial election law for the head of state or to deal with suggested amendments to it by the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) were also rejected at the session.

Final vote on House floor

It is noted that unlike the election law for the head of state that, controversially, was not returned to the floor of the House for an ultimate vote, and was sent directly from Committee stage to the High National Elections Commission (HNEC), the parliamentary law did get a final vote on the floor.

HoR sees that it has completed its constitutional role

With the approval of this law (with what looked on screen to be about 50 members present) the House of Representatives said that it has fulfilled the legislation and laws necessary to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 December this year.

The High State Council and the LPA

It must also be recalled that the HoR has continued to steamroll the election laws in total ignorance of the role of the High State Council (HSC) purportedly prescribed to it by the 2015 Skhirat Libyan Political Agreement (LPA).

The HoR feels that legislation of laws is its exclusive concern and that the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) does away with the advisory role of the HSC.

The HoR and HSC also failed to arrive at a consensus in talks between 30 September-1 October in Rabat, Morocco, over the presidential and parliamentary election laws.

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