Libyan leaders revive election committee in Ankara talks

Libya's House of Representatives Speaker Aguila Saleh and High Council of State President Mohamed Takala agreed during talks in Ankara on Thursday to reactivate the joint 6+6 committee responsible for drafting election laws, vowing to overcome provisions that had stalled the long-awaited electoral process. The two leaders issued a joint statement declaring that "The meeting resulted in several understandings aimed at strengthening national consensus, supporting political and institutional stability in Libya, and affirming continued coordination between the two councils on national obligations," according to Anadolu Agency.

They emphasized that Libya's political process must remain within the framework of the constitutional declaration and the political agreement regulating the work of both councils, while respecting the powers assigned to each institution. The statement praised "the efforts of the sisterly Republic of Türkiye" and its readiness to host the committee in the coming days to complete its work on election legislation.

Committee formed in Morocco

The joint 6+6 committee was established on June 6, 2023, following negotiations in the Moroccan city of Bouznika to draft laws for elections that have been repeatedly delayed since the country's 2020 ceasefire agreement. However, opposition from various Libyan parties to some of the committee's provisions prevented the enactment of the necessary legislation, leaving the divided nation without an electoral mandate to resolve its institutional crisis.

The committee comprises members from both the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, and was tasked with overcoming the legislative obstacles that have prevented presidential and parliamentary polls from taking place since the initial scheduled date of December 2021.

Unifying sovereign positions

During the Ankara talks, Saleh and Takala stressed the need to unify sovereign positions and the executive authority to end institutional divisions in a manner that strengthens state unity ahead of any national ballot. "Takala handed Saleh a letter regarding the board of the High National Election Commission," the statement said, noting that the correspondence would be presented to the House of Representatives to take appropriate measures according to its procedures and powers.

The discussions also addressed the long-standing division between Libya's rival administrations — the Government of National Unity headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli, which controls western Libya, and the government appointed by the House of Representatives under Osama Hammad in Benghazi, which governs the east and most southern cities.

Turkish intelligence chief meets leaders

Separately, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met with both Libyan leaders in Ankara on Thursday to discuss developments in Libya and the region, security sources said. The meeting addressed possible steps to deepen cooperation between Libya and Türkiye, efforts to achieve political and military unity, and ways to reach broad consensus among Libyan parties on outstanding issues, according to the sources.

The participants stressed the leading role of both councils in promoting stability and moving the political process forward, agreeing on the goals of achieving political unity and unifying institutions. The UN mission in Libya has been pursuing parallel efforts to lead the country toward elections that could resolve the prolonged crisis, though previous initiatives have failed to bridge the gap between the competing factions.