TRIPOLI, Aug. 30 — Libya’s “4+4” Committee on Sunday signed an agreement in Tripoli on reshaping the board of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) and addressing disputes over presidential and parliamentary election laws.
The “4+4” Committee, comprising four representatives from eastern Libya and four from the west, was launched by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) as an alternative mechanism to overcome the political impasse after Libya’s House of Representatives and the High Council of State failed to agree on amending electoral laws and appointing a new board for the HNEC.
Under the agreement, which was signed at the headquarters of UNSMIL, Dhou Al-Hamali was recommended as chairman of the HNEC board, while Sana Al-Lishani was named deputy chairperson. Ali Al-Tayea, Haitham Al-Tabouli, Ali Abu Salah, Badiwi Mohamed, and Ali Al-Mabrouk were named members of the commission’s board.
Regarding the presidential and parliamentary elections, the committee agreed to separate the results of the presidential election from those of the legislative elections. The agreement stipulated that the elections should be held under a single executive authority and unified national institutions, including sovereign institutions and the military.
It further stipulated that a second round of the presidential election would not be mandatory if a candidate obtains more than 50 percent plus one vote of the ballots cast. Under the agreement, presidential and legislative elections must be held within 24 months, with both civilians and military personnel eligible to run.
The agreement was signed against the backdrop of Libya’s ongoing political and institutional divisions, as the country seeks to end years of transitional periods through presidential and parliamentary elections.(Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
