Tripoli— The Libyan Presidential Council’s President Mohamed Menfi said that elections must be held as soon as possible, indicating they could be held in 2025 if agreement between political parties could be reached on time. He cited the success of the municipal elections that were smoothly took place last year.
Speaking to a group of journalist on Thursday, Menfi said institutional divisions in Libya are a result of “weak security control,” pointing out that the continued consensus among the members of the 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) regarding a ceasefire contributes to unifying the military institution and resolving any military and security issues.
These institutional divisions hinder the discussion of security and economic issues, such as the issue of irregular migration, which requires a strategic vision for border protection, explaining that the JMC is not responsible for the expulsion of mercenaries from Libya, which requires an elected president and a legislative body.
He also said the Advisory Committee formed by the UN mission is “not binding on the Libyan parties,” and that the alternative is a popular referendum on contentious issues.
Whether Mr. Menfi meant by this statement to undermine the work of this committee or to play down its importance in the political dispute in Libya is not certain. However, he also said “the UN role in Libya is an important foundational role in terms of its contribution to drafting the constitution.”
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has hailed the Advisory Committee when it was first established on 16 December 2024 to be a part of a multi-track political initiative to reactivate the Libyan political process, which, unfortunately, has yet to be reactivated. It held its first meeting in Tripoli on 10 February 2025.
The role of the Advisory Committee will be developing technically sound and politically viable proposals for resolving outstanding contentious issues to enable the holding of elections, building on existing Libyan framework and laws including the Libyan Political Agreement, the LPDF Roadmap and the 6+6 Electoral laws.
Menfi stressed that the Presidential Council does not have the authority to dissolve the House of Representatives and the State Council, but it can call for a referendum on this matter.
Regarding the economy, he warned that the swap system between the Central Bank and the National Oil Corporation has created financial corruption, calling for a unified budget and the abolition of the swap system to preserve the Libyan economy and exchange rate.
The 5+5 Joint Military Committee was established as part of the agreement resulted from the Berlin International Conference on Libya on 19 January 2020.