Election authority at centre of renewed Libya political disagreement

A renewed vote by Libya’s High Council of State to select Salah Al-Kumayshi as chairman of the board of the High National Elections Commission has brought the issue back to the centre of the political debate, reopening differences with the House of Representatives over the management of the electoral file.

The elections commission is widely viewed as a key institution for any future constitutional or electoral process, making disputes over its leadership particularly sensitive amid Libya’s ongoing political stalemate.

Vote outcome

During a second voting session, the High Council of State voted in favour of Al-Kumayshi, who currently serves as Director of Operations at the commission.
• Votes for Salah Al-Kumayshi: 63
• Votes for rival candidate Al-Aref Al-Tir: 33
• Members participating: 103 out of 107 present

Al-Kumayshi has held several administrative roles within the commission in recent years, including head of the Planning and Follow-up Office, before moving to the operations department.

House of Representatives response

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, rejected the move, saying there was no justification for changing the commission’s leadership at this stage.

In televised remarks on Sunday, Saleh said the current chairman, Imad Al‑Sayeh, and the existing board have the experience needed to manage electoral processes. He referred to the organisation of municipal elections last year and warned that altering the commission’s structure could affect the timing of future electoral steps.

Saleh also linked the issue to broader disagreements over the implementation of the Bouznika Agreement, stating that political understandings should either be implemented in full or that existing unified institutions should remain in place until the current phase is resolved.

High Council of State position

The President of the High Council of State, Mohamed Takala, said the House of Representatives had taken unilateral action by proceeding with appointments to the commission’s board.

In a statement published by the council’s media office, Takala said the Bouznika Agreement sets out a clear mechanism for appointments to sovereign institutions. Under that arrangement, he said, the High Council of State selects the commission’s chairman and three members, while the House of Representatives appoints the remaining three.

Commission and legal framework

For its part, the High National Elections Commission said that completing its board is consistent with Article 10 of Law No. 5 of 2013 governing its establishment. The commission stressed that the measures taken are based on existing legislation and are not linked to political agreements.

International context

The developments coincide with renewed statements from the United Nations. The UN Special Representative for Libya has previously indicated that an alternative mechanism could be proposed if the House of Representatives and the High Council of State fail to reach consensus on the political roadmap, reflecting international concern over the continuation of institutional disagreements.

Outlook

The dispute also comes amid continued debate over the role of the elections commission in the stalled constitutional process. While the commission says it is ready to implement any legally completed mandate referred to it, differing interpretations among political bodies persist.

As disagreements between Libya’s two main legislative institutions continue, the future of the elections commission remains part of a broader institutional debate, with constitutional and electoral timelines dependent on whether consensus can be reached.