Benghazi— The House of Representatives announced an agreement with the High Council of State (HCS) to appoint new board of directors for the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) within 10 days.
This came during a meeting held on Saturday between members of the so-called the Sovereign Positions Committees (SPC) in the two institutions at the House of Representatives headquarters’ in Benghazi, according to a statement by the Parliament’s spokesman.
The meeting in Benghazi came as a result of international pressures demanding the completion of the HNEC’s restructuring before proceeding with the long-awaited electoral process. The UN roadmap, announced last August, linked the holding of national elections to this step, considering it a prerequisite for unifying the country’s divided institutions.
The statement said that the two committees would consider the remaining sovereign positions in another meeting to be decided later. Such sovereign positions include: the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, the head of the Audit Bureau, the head of the Administrative Control Authority, the head of the Anti-Corruption Authority, the president of the Supreme Court and the Attorney General, in addition to the commission itself.
The 2015 Skhirat Agreement, Morocco, stipulates that the Parliament should consult with the HCS regarding appointments to these key positions, which, in turn, has become one of the most prominent points of political contention in the country.
At the center of debate are the amendments to the HNEC, which include those related to its composition, vacant seats and whether to maintain or change its current leadership.