TRIPOLI, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Libya's High State Council (HSC) has said the House of Representatives (HoR)'s amendments to the presidential election law were "unconstitutional" and called for further institutional consultations on the electoral framework.
The HSC issued a statement on its Facebook page late Monday night detailing its opposition.
The council asserted that any modification to the rules, conditions, and timelines for electoral competition must be carried out through a clear, agreed-upon institutional process.
The move came as the HoR issued Law No. 4 of 2026 on Monday, amending provisions related to the presidential election framework, such as allowing military personnel and dual nationals to run for office under updated terms.
The HSC's stance comes just before the one-month deadline for ratifying the UN-facilitated agreement on presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya.
In April, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) began engaging a smaller group of Libyan representatives known as the "4+4" committee, as part of its political roadmap. The discussions focused primarily on resolving disputes over the electoral framework.
In June, the UNSMIL said the participants had reached an understanding on the presidential election law.
On August 30, under UNSMIL facilitation, the 4+4 participants signed an agreement, vowing to restructure the Elections Commission and resolving outstanding legal and constitutional issues affecting presidential and parliamentary elections.
On Spet. 3, the UNSMIL presented the agreement to the HoR and HSC leadership, giving one month to approve it.
The HSC leadership objected to the agreement's existing form, with the dispute focusing on the legal process for approving the electoral rules and the Elections Commission's composition, rather than on the principle of holding elections.
On Sept. 14, the HoR voted unanimously at a session in Benghazi to adopt the 4+4 agreement, saying it was consistent with its existing position on several electoral issues.
Libya has been divided politically and institutionally for years, while the United Nations and Libyan parties have been seeking to reach a consensual framework paving the way for national elections, resolve contentious issues related to the presidential election law, and appoint a new board of the electoral commission to oversee the overall electoral process across the country.
The country's political system remains divided among competing legislative, executive and security institutions. The eastern-based HoR is the country's main legislative body, while the Tripoli-based HSC is a separate consultative institution with an important role in major political and institutional arrangements. The dispute between the two over electoral legislation forms part of a broader division between rival authorities and power centers in western and eastern Libya. ■