Members of the High State Council voted to restructure the Joint Electoral Laws Committee with the House of Representatives (6+6), with the new committee to consist of six members: three from the previous committee and three from the current committee formed by Council President Mohamed Takala a few days ago.

The vote took place during the 117th plenary session of the High State Council, held on Tuesday, under the chairmanship of Council President Mohamed Takala, and in the presence of First Deputy President Hassan Habib, Second Deputy Speaker Musa Faraj, and Council Rapporteur Belqasim Debrez, at the Council’s headquarters in the capital Tripoli, with a quorum present, according to a post by the Council on its Facebook page.

Preserving the Unity of the Council

The session began with a briefing by Takala on the latest political developments, during which he outlined the role of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in the political process, as well as the challenges associated with maintaining the presence and role of the High Council of State on the political scene.

In his briefing, Takala emphasized the importance of preserving the Council’s unity and cohesion, stressing that “any organizational measures are taken within the framework of safeguarding the institution and strengthening its work, without targeting specific individuals,” referring to the controversy surrounding the Council’s stance on the participation of members Ali Abdulaziz and Abduljalil al-Shawish in the mini-dialogue meeting held in Rome last week.

Takala also noted during his remarks that the High Council of State has formed a committee to liaise with the House of Representatives, consisting of 15 members from various constituencies, and expects a similar decision from the House of Representatives to form a committee using the same mechanism.

Communication Committee Between the Council and the House of Representatives

The formation of the communication committee comes in preparation for resuming meetings with the House of Representatives to continue discussions on various political issues, including the constitutional framework, electoral laws, sovereign positions, the general budget, and the unification of institutions and the executive authority.

The High Council of State and the House of Representatives are facing pressure from the UN mission to proceed with fulfilling their commitments regarding electoral laws and the appointment of the High National Elections Commission, which remains a point of contention and debate between the two chambers.