Representatives of Libya’s rival political factions have signed an agreement aimed at paving the way for national elections within the next 24 months, marking a significant development in the country’s long-running political crisis.
The agreement was signed on Sunday, August 30, at the headquarters of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in the capital, Tripoli. The deal is intended to address some of the major political and legal disputes that have repeatedly prevented Libya from holding nationwide elections.
Under the proposed roadmap, Libya is expected to hold both presidential and parliamentary elections within a period not exceeding 24 months. The elections are also expected to take place under a single executive authority and with efforts to establish unified national institutions.
The agreement followed discussions under a smaller negotiating format known as the 4+4. The talks brought together representatives from four major Libyan institutions: the Government of National Unity, the High Council of State, the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army.
One of the main issues addressed by the agreement is the reform of Libya’s national electoral system. The roadmap includes efforts to reorganise the country’s electoral commission and resolve outstanding disagreements over the constitutional and legal framework needed to conduct presidential and parliamentary elections.
Libya has been divided by competing political and military authorities for years. The country’s political process suffered another major setback when elections scheduled for December 2021 were cancelled after political leaders failed to agree on rules governing candidates and other key electoral issues.
The latest agreement is therefore being viewed as an attempt to break the political deadlock and create a clearer path towards a unified government chosen through elections.
However, the agreement still faces important challenges. Libya’s House of Representatives and High Council of State are expected to approve the deal within one month. If they fail to do so, the parties have proposed seeking broader national mechanisms to adopt the agreement as a constitutional document, with possible international backing through the United Nations Security Council.
Libya has experienced political instability and conflict since the 2011 uprising that ended the rule of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country later became divided between rival administrations based mainly in the east and west. Although a ceasefire in 2020 significantly reduced large-scale fighting, political disagreements have continued to prevent the establishment of stable nationwide institutions.
The United Nations has been working with Libyan political actors to create a framework that can lead to elections and institutional reunification. The latest agreement addresses the first stages of that political roadmap, particularly electoral commission reform and the unresolved constitutional and legal issues surrounding elections.
For many Libyans, the proposed elections represent an opportunity to replace prolonged political division with a government that receives a fresh national mandate. But whether the agreement succeeds will depend heavily on whether the rival institutions can maintain their commitment to the roadmap and overcome disputes that have derailed previous election plans.
If successfully implemented, the agreement could become one of the most important steps towards ending Libya’s prolonged political stalemate and restoring a unified political system.
