TRIPOLI, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The head of Libya's Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi, has expressed reservations over the basis and mechanisms of a proposed "4+4 mini-Committee" under the auspices of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.
He made the remarks during a meeting on Tuesday with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Council's media office.
Reports said that the "4+4 mini-Committee" was proposed as part of efforts to break the prolonged political deadlock in the North African country.
The committee is expected to consist of eight members representing the Tobruk-based General Command of the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU). It aims to narrow differences over electoral laws and the constitutional basis.
Currently in Libya, the "6+6 Committee" launched in 2023 is tasked with resolving disputes over the constitutional framework and electoral legislation. It comprises members from Libya's House of Representatives and the High Council of State.
In response to the "4+4 mini-Committee" proposal, Al-Menfi voiced surprise at what he described as disregard for the outcomes of the "6+6 Committee," warning that such steps could weaken consensus-building efforts and further complicate the country's political landscape.
Al-Menfi emphasized that electoral legislation and the High National Elections Commission fall within the sovereign mandate of Libya's legislative institutions, noting that involving actors outside the recognized institutional frameworks in such matters is unjustified and risks disrupting ongoing political processes.
He also called for a clear separation between the UN-facilitated process and any parallel initiatives, while reaffirming adherence to existing political references, including the roadmap and political agreement. He rejected what he described as bypassing national institutions or their established internal procedures in forming committees.
Earlier this month, the Libyan High Council of State rejected a U.S. proposal, which suggested that Saddam Haftar, deputy commander of the LNA, assume the positions of head of the Presidential Council and supreme commander of the Libyan Army, while Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, prime minister of the GNU, serve concurrently as prime minister and defense minister.
Since the 2011 fall of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been split politically between the UN-recognized GNU in Tripoli and the eastern administration backed by the LNA. ■