Libyan Constitutional Draft : The Stalemate Continues

After the 2021 failed general elections rendez-vous in Li bya, the democraticprocess in the country seemed to be at a standstill. Uncountable times, some actors within and especially the international community have tried to salvage the situation but failed to convince the main stakeholders to agree on certain salient issues. Though the appointment of an African Abdoulaye Bathily as highly recommended by most African countries to replace Stephanie Williams, brought in some impetus among the negotiators, the pace at which the events are unfolding is a call for concern. After the successful putting in place of a joint platform known as the “6x6 Joint Committee”, that brainstormed on the proposals and came out with an electoral draft, one would have expected that after the Moroccan meeting, the different factions, would hurriedly endorse the agreement to set the ball rolling. This has not been the case several weeks after with many observers asking why the two factions are feet-dragging on the issue. It is well known that envoys of rival Libyan factions consulted their hierarchies before agreeing on the legal steps to hold the much delayed presidential and legislative elections. The country remains split between a nominally interim government in Tripoli in the west headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and another in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar. Though the deal struck in Morocco by representatives from both sides has some differences that still need to be resolved, what most Libyans are expecting now is its endorsement and implementation. “The members have agreed the laws for presidential and legislative elections,” Jalal Chouehdi, who represents the east-based parliament, told reporters in the s...