After more than a decade without national elections, Libya’s rival political factions have agreed on the rules for voting and the make-up of the country’s electoral commission—an advance the UN Security Council has called a significant step toward a nationwide ballot.
Reached on 30 August through a UN-backed negotiating process, the agreement calls for the reconstitution of the High National Elections Commission and revisions to the legal framework governing parliamentary and presidential elections. The votes are to take place within two years under a unified government. The UN Security Council has pressed Libya’s political leaders to move swiftly on the deal and expressed support for the UN mission headed by Special Representative Hannah Tetteh.
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Yet Tetteh has cautioned that confidence remains fragile among both political leaders and the wider Libyan public. Key obstacles include bringing the country’s fractured military, security and economic institutions under unified structures. She has also called for stronger legal safeguards so women—who face online harassment and hate speech when engaging in public life—can take part in politics and civic affairs without intimidation.
