Libya’s political representatives have welcomed the signing by the country’s 4+4 Small Dialogue Committee of a final agreement to restructure the High National Elections Commission and review election laws.
The agreement sets a timetable for holding legislative and presidential elections under a single executive authority and unified national institutions within 24 months.
In a statement on Sunday, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, prime minister of the Tripoli-based, UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU), hailed the move as “an important step that reinforces the path we have called for from the outset, based on ending transitional phases and moving towards elections”.
“Our vision is clear: the decision should rest with the Libyan people through elections that end the state of division and give all institutions their true legitimacy,” he added.
He expressed hope that the agreement would constitute a “practical step in the right direction, preserving the priority of elections and paving the way for a national process that puts Libya on the path to stability and development”.
Saddam Haftar, deputy commander-in-chief of the LNA in the country’s east, also welcomed the agreement in a separate statement.
Haftar called the agreement “an important step towards removing the obstacles that have long stood in the way of fulfilling the Libyan people’s aspirations for holding simultaneous presidential and legislative elections as soon as possible”.
4+4 committee
Earlier, the 4+4 committee announced the signing of a draft agreement that provides for restructuring the board of the High National Elections Commission and appointing Dhaou Ibrahim Attia as chairman of the commission’s board and Sana al-Lishani as deputy chairwoman.
The latest agreement is part of UN-led efforts to create the conditions for holding elections and ending Libya’s political division between two administrations.
The 4+4 Committee comprises four members representing the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity and four representing eastern Libya. It has been holding UN-sponsored talks since April 2026 aimed at breaking the country’s political deadlock and advancing the implementation of a UN roadmap for holding elections and unifying executive authority.
Regarding the candidacy of military personnel and dual nationals, the agreement allows “dual nationals to run in presidential elections, with guarantees requiring the winning candidate to renounce any non-Libyan nationality before taking the constitutional oath, in addition to proposing a legal remedy that would lead to the electoral process being repeated if the candidate is unable to meet this condition.”
It also permits military personnel to participate in presidential elections as candidates and voters and requires presidential candidates to secure 20,000 endorsements from registered voters across Libya.
Regarding the country’s constitution, the 4+4 Committee agreed to “authorise the newly elected parliament to address issues related to the permanent constitution, including its adoption.”
It also stipulates that sessions of the elected House of Representatives and the executive authority be held periodically, according to a fixed rotation, in Tripoli, Benghazi in the east and Sabha in the south.
