State Council member slams ‘mini-table’ proposal

A member of Libya’s High Council of State, Belqasim Qzeet, has criticised a proposed “mini-table” format for political dialogue, warning that it risks granting legitimacy to actors who wield influence through force rather than institutional authority.

In remarks made on Wednesday, Qzeet argued that the approach effectively sidelines elected bodies from meaningful participation in ongoing discussions. He said the current mechanism for selecting participants had bypassed formal institutions, with representatives of both the High Council of State and the House of Representatives chosen by what he described as “forces of the status quo”, rather than through internal institutional processes.

He characterised the development as an “unusual precedent” in Libya’s political landscape.

Qzeet acknowledged that both legislative bodies have shown weaknesses in their performance in recent years. However, he stressed that excluding them entirely from dialogue on shaping a political settlement was “unacceptable”, given their central role in legal and constitutional deliberations.

Warning against dominance of force

While expressing openness to a “hybrid formula” that balances legal legitimacy with realities on the ground, Qzeet cautioned against allowing one side of that equation to dominate. “Any sustainable solution must reflect this balance,” he said, rejecting what he described as unilateral reliance on “the logic of force” in determining the course of dialogue.

He further noted that any committee tasked with drafting a political solution for Libya should not be limited solely to the two legislative bodies, calling instead for broader inclusion of other stakeholders. Nonetheless, he insisted that both institutions must remain integral to the political process.

UN envoy acknowledges concerns

For her part, the UN Special Representative to Libya, Hanna Tetteh, said that the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) had engaged with a “small group” of Libyan actors in an effort to break the current political deadlock.

Speaking before the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Tetteh said the outreach was intended to explore pathways forward and to prepare the ground for implementing the initial phases of the roadmap, based on recommendations from the advisory committee.

She acknowledged that the move had prompted reservations among some Libyan parties, but noted that the mission continues to engage with key political actors, including the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, to advance the roadmap process.

Tetteh added that if sufficient progress is not achieved, she would return to the Security Council with new proposals aimed at moving the political process forward, in line with existing political agreements.

She reiterated that, despite the presence of parallel bilateral initiatives, the UN mission remains focused on facilitating a pathway towards national elections, as outlined in its roadmap presented to the Council in August last year.