Commenting on the outcome of the 6+6 House of Representatives-High State Council (HoR-HSC) Committee which met in Bouzniqa, Morocco to develop draft electoral laws for the presidential and parliamentary elections, UNSMIL ‘‘urged all players to refrain from delay tactics aimed at prolonging the stalemate’’.
It will be recalled that the 6+6 HoR-HCS Committee agreed on draft electoral laws in Bouzniqa, but ultimately the Speaker of the HoR, Ageela Saleh, and the Head of the HSC, Khaled Mishri, failed to turn up to sign the draft electoral law.
It was believed that the two failed to reach consensus due to the renewal of differences – differences that it had been though were ironed out by the 6+6 HoR-HCS Committee representing them.
It will be recalled that the 6+6 HoR-HCS Committee representing them have been in talks for two months, and that their agreed electoral laws are considered binding according to the 13th constitutional amendment approved by the HoR and the HSC. Nevertheless, the failure of Ageela Saleh and Khaled Mishri to approve them, makes them null and void in practical terms.
The failure of the heads of the HoR and HSC to rubber stamp their joint committee’s outcomes may force UNSMIL to implement its alternative plan of bypassing them for continuing to use delaying tactics aimed at prolonging the stalemate.
Here is the full UNSMIL statement released yesterday:
‘‘UNSMIL takes note of the outcome of the work of the 6+6 HoR-HCS Committee which met in Bouzniqa, Kingdom of Morocco, from 22 May to 6 June 2023 to develop draft electoral laws for the presidential and parliamentary elections. The Mission appreciates the efforts made by the 6+6 Committee and thanks the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco for hosting the Committee.
UNSMIL recognises that important elements of the electoral laws and associated issues require buy-in and support from a broad range of Libyan institutions, civil society representatives, including women and youth, and political and security actors, to allow inclusive, credible and successful elections to take place. As such, the Mission will continue to work with all relevant Libyan institutions, including the Presidential Council, to facilitate a process amongst all actors to address the contested elements of the electoral framework, secure the necessary political agreement on the path to elections, and enable a level playing field for all candidates.
UNSMIL calls on all Libyan actors to engage, in a spirit of compromise, to address all outstanding issues and create a safer and more conducive environment for the holding of elections in 2023. The Mission urges all players to refrain from delay tactics aimed at prolonging the stalemate, which has caused so much suffering for the people of Libya.
In keeping with its mandate, UNSMIL reaffirms its commitment to the holding of transparent, inclusive and credible elections to allow the people of Libya to choose their representatives freely and renew the legitimacy of the country’s institutions.’’
