UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday welcomed the Libyan House of Representatives’ endorsement of the “4+4” Smaller Convening Agreement signed between Libyan conflict parties on August 30 to pave the way for long-awaited national election.
In a press briefing by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, said the House of Representatives' approval of the agreement represents “an important step to move things forward,” contributing to efforts to resolve the ongoing political deadlock in Libya.
Libya’s House of Representatives approved the agreement unanimously on Monday during a session in Benghazi chaired by Speaker Aguila Saleh.
In return, head of the High Council of State, Mohamed Takala sent a letter to Guterres objecting to the recent move by the UN mission in Tripoli concerning the political process and bodies related to elections.
He said the mission gathered a limited number of people who do not legitimately represent sovereign institutions.
Takala also said those people prepared a document about the structure of the political process and the formation of bodies involved in elections, a move he described as “an overstep of the UN’s facilitating role and an interference in Libya’s internal affairs and sovereignty.”
The head of the High Council of State urged building on the consensus achieved by the “6+6” committee instead of pursuing parallel processes that could deepen divisions.
Takala then asked Guterres to ensure the UN mission adheres to its mandate and respects Libya’s political agreement and state sovereignty.
He requested that the mission not legitimize bodies with limited representation and to reverse its recent action.
On August 30, the 4+4 Committee signed the final agreement during an official ceremony at the UNSMIL headquarters in Tripoli to restructure the board of Libya’s High National Elections Commission, address disputed issues related to the legal framework for presidential and parliamentary elections, and hold the votes under a single executive authority and unified national institutions within a maximum of 24 months.
Earlier this month, UNSMIL said it had formally referred the agreement to the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, giving the two bodies one month from the date of its signing to approve it.
Dr Saleh Al-Makhzoum, a law professor at the University of Tripoli accused some members of the High Council of State of objecting to the UN-sponsored agreement only to “buy time,” as happened during the Skhirat Agreement, signed in Morocco in 2015 to end Libya's civil war and political split.
“Those members ignore the changing motives of the international community towards the Libyan crisis,” he wrote on his Facebook account.
Al-Makhzoum warned that Libya is currently facing a “more complicated” situation due to the overlap of security, economy, oil and international race. He warned that disrupting the 4+4 agreement, or reigniting disputes through the 6+6 committee may narrow Libya’s options.
Meanwhile, the UN mission in Libya continues to intensify contacts with political forces, officials and youth from different regions, to broaden support for the 4+4 agreement.
In this regard, UN Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs Stephanie Koury met on Tuesday a delegation of young people from Zawiya, Sorman, Sabratha, Ajileat and Tripoli to discuss the political process, including the Smaller Convening agreement and the outcomes of the Structured Dialogue.
Participants shared their views on youth inclusion and the challenges facing Libya’s path to national elections. The group welcomed the Smaller Convening agreement as a positive step, while expressing concern about the challenges of its implementation. They also stressed the need for broader inclusion, particularly of young people, in political and decision-making processes.
In another meeting, Koury and UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh discussed the latest political and economic developments with members of the Political Dialogue and Reconciliation Team.
The UN mission stated that the two sides exchanged views on recent economic and political developments, including the agreement reached during the “mini-meeting,” the outcomes of the structured dialogue, and the next steps in the political process facilitated by the UNSMIL.
The delegation shared its initiative aimed at overcoming the political stalemate and building broad-based support to advance the political process, emphasizing the importance of accelerating efforts to address the challenges facing the Libyan people.
