Libyan leaders were scheduled to meet in Morocco on Monday to finalize new electoral laws, but any agreement on voting rules or a new interim government would almost certainly spark opposition and delay the political process.
According to a HoR member and Meshri’s spokesperson, Aguila Saleh and Khaled al-Mishri left early in the morning for Morocco to reach an agreement.
After months of inaction, the two would almost certainly present any agreement as a major breakthrough. According to UN envoy Adoulaye Bathily, a deal reached this month could lead to national elections by the end of the year.
However, due to their leaders’ negotiating style, 61 HoR and some HSC members have already opposed ratification.
Disputes over constitutional issues such as the roles of the president and parliament, as well as electoral law issues such as the eligibility of divisive candidates, have plagued Libya’s political process.
The country has been in turmoil since the NATO-backed uprising that deposed Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. In 2014, Libya was divided into warring eastern and western factions.
Since 2020, peace efforts have centered on holding national elections in order to establish governing institutions with broad political legitimacy.
The election of the HoR’s four-year national parliament took place in 2014. The HSC was formed by a 2015 political agreement from members of a 2012 interim parliament.
The United Nations-backed Government of National Unity in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, was established in 2021 to govern until the end of the year national elections.
Since the December 2021 election collapsed due to rule disputes, the HoR under Saleh and the HSC under Meshri have both rejected Dbeibah’s government.
Under a 2015 political agreement, the international community requires both bodies to approve any new constitutional rules allowing an election or government change.
Many Libyans doubt that their political leaders are negotiating in good faith because they fear losing elections.
