Libya sets course for presidential, parliamentary elections by 2027

The heads of Libya’s three principal political institutions have agreed on a roadmap aimed at holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections before February 2027 and establishing a high-level committee to oversee the process.

The agreement was reached during a meeting involving Speaker of the House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, Chairman of the High Council of State Mohammed Takala, and Chairman of the Presidential Council Mohamed al-Menfi, Anadolu Agency reports.

The three leaders said they had adopted a principles document that would serve as a roadmap for bringing Libya’s prolonged transitional period to an end.

Under the plan, the parties committed to completing the constitutional and legal framework necessary for presidential and parliamentary elections, unifying sovereign institutions, and strengthening national sovereignty.

The document also calls for economic and financial reforms aimed at safeguarding public funds and preserving the unity of state institutions ahead of the electoral process.

The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the 2011 Constitutional Declaration and its amendments, the Libyan Political Agreement signed in Morocco in 2015, and the outcomes of a previous trilateral meeting held in Cairo under the auspices of the Arab League.

They further agreed to proceed with the implementation of the roadmap, while allowing for adjustments reflecting political developments and national initiatives, with the objective of ensuring simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections.

According to the statement, a supreme committee will be established to supervise implementation of the roadmap and oversee the measures required to complete the electoral process and bring Libya’s transitional arrangements to an end.

Libya has remained politically divided for years between rival administrations in the country’s east and west. Repeated efforts to organize nationwide elections have stalled amid disputes over the constitutional basis for voting and the eligibility criteria for candidates, prolonging the political deadlock.

By Vafa Guliyeva