Day: March 2, 2023

The High Council of State approved, by majority of the votes of those present, Thursday, the (13) constitutional amendment approved by the House of Representatives, in consultation with the High Council of State.

This came during the emergency session held by the Council, Thursday, at its headquarters in the capital, Tripoli, headed by Khaled Al-Mashri, who said the meeting was held after a quorum was reached.

The council stated on its official account on Facebook that during the session, it was agreed to start forming a committee to draft electoral laws to be approved during the next session.

Source: Libyan News Agency

President of the Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Menfi, met, Thursday, in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, with President Ilham Aliyev and President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jelka Tcefanovic.

The Presidential Council Media Office reported that the meeting with President Aliyev dealt with prospects of joint cooperation, endeavors of Presidency Council towards comprehensive national reconciliation and its success in enhancing stability in the country, and the Council’s efforts to advance the political process to hold elections on sound and legal bases during 2023.

While the meeting held – on the sidelines of the summit of the contact group of the Non-Aligned Movement – with the President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jelka Tcefanovic, discussed bilateral relations and ways to develop and enhance them in a way that serves the interests of both countries. They also discussed role of the Presidential Council and its endeavors to get out of the political impasse and conduct elections this year through a solid electoral base, laws and foundations.

Source: Libyan News Agency

The House of Representatives has condemned the kidnapping of Member of Parliament from Tarhuna district, Hassan Al-Ferjani Salem.

Salem was kidnapped by anonymous persons and taken to an unknown destination.

In a statement, the HoR called on the Attorney General to take all necessary legal measures to apprehend the perpetrators, bring them to justice, and release the representative, who has parliamentary immunity by law in accordance with Article 89 of Law No. 4 of 2014.

The statement held the kidnappers fully responsible for the safety of member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Hassan Al-Ferjani, and all the consequences of this incident, based on the relevant laws.

Source: Libyan News Agency

The US Embassy in Libya urged the main Libyan leaders to engage with the plan of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, “Abdullah Batili” to hold elections in Libya in a constructive manner.

The embassy said in tweets on its Twitter account that the proposal of the envoy, “Batili”, stimulates the Libyan political body and will build on the progress made by both the House of Representatives and the High Council of State in reaching a legal basis for the elections.

The US embassy added that such a moment is an opportunity for all key leaders in Libya to show that they are truly dedicated to serving the needs of the Libyan people.

The proposal of the UN envoy for the elections, Abdullah Batili, includes “the establishment of a high-level steering committee for Libya” that brings together Libyan stakeholders, including representatives of political institutions, the most important political figures, tribal leaders, civil society organizations, security parties, women and youth.

According to the proposal, the committee will facilitate the adoption of a legal framework and a roadmap with a timetable for the elections, in addition to a platform to promote consensus on related issues such as election security and the adoption of a code of conduct for all candidates.

Source: Libyan News Agency

The High Council of State rejected the statement issued by the HCS rapporteur, who questioned the legality of the voting session on the 13th constitutional amendment, Thursday.

The HCS confirmed, in a statement issued by its media office, in response to the objection, that its session was legal and quorum was attained, and the outcome of the vote on the constitutional amendment was the majority of those present voted yes.

HCS clarified that the voting session on the constitutional declaration was held in accordance with Chapter Five, part One, titled The System for Convening Sessions, and in accordance with Articles (55) and (56) regarding the organization of regular and emergency sessions of the HCS.

HCS said that the right of those challenging the legality of the session to resort to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court to adjudicate the dispute, and from a political point of view, the Council’s position is to accept the amendment and proceed with the formation of a committee to prepare laws.

The High Council of State expressed hope that serious and real work would be done to hold elections in November 2023.

Source: Libyan News Agency