US, UN Hail Libya Electoral Deal as Step Toward National Elections

The United States and the United Nations on Monday hailed an agreement between Libya’s rival political factions on long-disputed electoral issues, describing it as a crucial opening for ending the country’s prolonged political stalemate and reviving efforts to hold long-delayed national elections.

Massad Boulos, the U.S. senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, called Sunday’s signing an “encouraging step forward” and commended the parties for finding common ground on central questions surrounding the electoral process.

Boulos called on Libya’s political factions to build on the accord by putting it into effect, advancing toward nationwide elections, unifying state institutions and strengthening stability.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres likewise welcomed the draft final agreement, saying it marked meaningful progress toward bringing Libya’s extended transitional period to an end.

“The agreement marks an important step in advancing Libya towards national elections and ending the transitional period,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

The agreement was completed Sunday by Libya’s 4+4 Small Dialogue Committee, which includes representatives of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) and authorities in the country’s east.

The committee has conducted U.N.-sponsored talks since April in an effort to break the political impasse, create the conditions needed for elections and eventually reunify Libya’s divided institutions.

The U.N. said the agreement covers the first two milestones in its political road map: reorganizing the High National Election Commission and settling contested legal provisions governing presidential and parliamentary elections.

Under the restructuring plan, Dhaou Ibrahim Attia was appointed chairman of the election commission’s board, while Sana al-Lishani was named deputy chair.

The accord was signed at the headquarters of the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in Tripoli. International diplomats and representatives of Libya’s legislative bodies attended the ceremony.

Guterres urged Libya’s political leaders and state institutions to carry out the agreement in good faith. The U.N. said the development showed that political dialogue could still produce progress despite the country’s deep divisions.

Libya remains split between the GNU, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah from Tripoli and controlling much of the west, and an eastern administration headed by Osama Hammad. The eastern government was appointed by the House of Representatives in 2022 and administers large parts of eastern and southern Libya.

Repeated efforts to organize nationwide elections and reunify state institutions have foundered over disagreements involving electoral laws, eligibility requirements for candidates and control of government bodies.