Today, Monday, Abdullah Al-Lafi, Vice-President of the Libyan Presidential Council, put forward an initiative to end the political blockage over the legislative and presidential elections laws scheduled for the end of this year, while 3 African countries expressed their willingness to remove their fighters from Libyan soil.

Al-Lafi said in a press conference in the Libyan capital that his initiative to resolve this political blockage consists in submitting a proposal to bring together the House of Representatives and the Supreme Council of the State through a meeting between the two presidencies of the two Houses to agree on differences related to election laws and legislation.

He stated that if this was done, the consensus between the two chambers would go to the House of Representatives and then vote on it, and it would be returned to the Electoral Commission to start the actual work so that we would not go beyond the date set for the poll, which is next December 24, and Al-Lafi stressed that his initiative does not hinder the work of the Electoral Commission. .

There has been no comment from the House of Representatives or the Supreme Council of State regarding the Lafi initiative so far.

Lawsuits

In the same context, the head of the Supreme Council of State, Khaled Al-Mashri, warned of a great and great danger in the event of elections being held with laws contested before the Constitutional Court.

Al-Mashri added - in his speech at the opening of the 70th session of the Supreme Council to discuss the latest developments in the political situation - that the appeals pertain to laws issued by the House of Representatives, and there is also an administrative appeal about the procedures of the Electoral Commission.


The House of Representatives had issued two separate laws to hold presidential elections on December 24, provided that parliamentary elections will be held at a later date that has not yet been determined. Parliament Election Act.

On Saturday, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya said that the Libyan House of Representatives should amend the electoral law so that presidential and parliamentary elections can be held simultaneously.

The mission added that "respect for the principle of the simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24, 2021 is necessary to preserve the integrity of the electoral process and enhance its credibility... as well as the acceptance of the election results."

The mission also called for the "removal of restrictions imposed on participation in the elections, to allow Libyans who hold public office the opportunity to freeze their duties from the time they submit their candidacy applications for the presidential elections."

foreign fighters

On the other hand, the Libyan Joint Military Committee (5 plus 5) said today that Sudan, Chad and Niger have expressed their willingness to cooperate in removing all fighters belonging to their countries from Libyan territory.

The committee's announcement came in a statement issued at the conclusion of meetings it held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, which began on Saturday.

The Libyan Joint Military Committee (5 plus 5) said today that Sudan, Chad and Niger have expressed their willingness to cooperate in removing all fighters belonging to their countries from Libyan territory.

The meetings aimed, according to the statement, to consult and develop a mechanism to start practical steps on the ground for the exit of all mercenaries and foreign fighters belonging to those countries (Sudan, Chad and Niger), in a manner that ensures the stability of the Libyan state and all neighboring countries.

The Military Committee (which includes representatives of the government and the forces of retired Major General Khalifa Haftar) said that it met with representatives from Sudan, Chad and Niger in Cairo, with the facilitation of the UN mission in Libya.

The committee added that the three countries expressed their full readiness to coordinate and cooperate to ensure the exit of all fighters belonging to their countries and of all classifications from Libyan lands, and to ensure that these countries receive their citizens and coordinate to ensure that they do not return to Libyan lands again.

On October 8, the Joint Military Committee in Geneva approved a plan of action to gradually remove mercenaries and foreign fighters from the country.

It should be noted that Libya has been in a state of political détente for months after years of political and military division, as an elected transitional authority, comprising a unity government and a presidential council, assumed its duties on March 16 to lead the country to parliamentary and presidential elections.