Libya Faces New Setback as High Council Rejects Election Laws

The speaker of the Libyan parliament announced on Wednesday that the country’s newly minted presidential and national assembly election laws have been sent to the High National Elections Commission. The laws, which were unanimously approved by the House of Representatives on Monday, are based on the 13th Constitutional Amendment and the decisions of the 6+6 committee—a joint legislative group tasked with shaping laws for the upcoming elections. The committee includes six members from both the parliament and the High Council of State.

However, the Tripoli-based High Council of State has rejected these new laws. It announced on Wednesday the termination of its 6+6 representation, stating it only approves outcomes from talks held in Morocco in June, which are “unanimous and binding to both councils.”

The move throws a wrench into Libya’s already tumultuous political landscape. The country was unable to hold general elections in December 2021 due to internal disagreements over the election laws. Libya has grappled with ongoing violence and political strife since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.