Libyan leaders agree to form unified govt that will supervise elections

Representatives of Libya's rival administrations have pledged to form a unified government.

The Head of the country's Presidential Council, the Speaker of the eastern based House of Representatives, and the Head of the western based High Council of State met Sunday (Mar. 10) in Cairo, Egypt.

The meeting was convened by the Arab League Secretary-General.

“The attendees agreed on the following: first, emphasising on the sovereignty, independence and the unity of the Libyan soil and the rejection of any foreign intervention the affects the Libyan political process negatively," Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.

"Second, considering the political agreement and what follows it, a technical committee will be formed within a given timeframe to look into the proper amendments that expand the base of consensus in the work that was executed by the 6+6 committee, and to finalise the unsettled matters regarding the points of disagreement in accordance to the legislations in force.”

The 6+6 commitee is the joint committee of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State for the preparation of electoral laws.

The Libyan actors in attendance stressed the necessity of forming a unified government tasked with supervising the electoral process and providing necessary services to Libyans.

The country’s current political crisis was worsened by the failure to hold elections on Dec. 24, 2021, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah — who led a transitional government in the capital of Tripoli — to step down.

In response, the country’s east-based parliament appointed a rival prime minister that governs the eastern half of the country.