Efforts to elect a new leadership for Libya’s High Council of State have once again faltered, as internal divisions, legal disputes, and external interference continue to paralyze the body. Sunday’s planned session, intended to resolve a year-long leadership crisis, failed to reach consensus, despite claims of quorum and competing interpretations of procedural legitimacy.
Disputed quorum and rival claims
Council President Khaled Al-Mishri declared the session invalid, citing a failure to meet the required quorum of 92 members. He claimed only 91 were present at the scheduled time, rendering the vote unconstitutional. However, other council members, including Kamal Al-Jatlawi and session rapporteur Abdeljalil Al-Shaoush, reported 95 attendees, exceeding the two-thirds threshold and paving the way for the vote.
Momentum and resistance
Member Ahmed Langi stated that most council members were eager to proceed, with nominations open to all. A joint committee representing both Al-Mishri and rival candidate Mohamed Tekala had been formed to oversee the process, with expectations of UN and media observers.
Yet accusations quickly surfaced. Member Belkacem Debrez accused Al-Mishri of obstructing the vote by imposing excessive conditions on verifying council membership, a tactic he described as a deliberate derailment.
External interference and internal fractures
Member Safwan Al-Masouri warned that outside actors had disrupted what had been a promising path toward council unification. He predicted that the session would result in further fragmentation rather than reconciliation, urging colleagues to resist external pressure and recommit to an internally driven consensus.
Legal ambiguity and procedural deadlock
Council member Khalifa Al-Madghio emphasized the urgency of resolving the leadership dispute to preserve institutional unity. Al-Mishri, while expressing willingness to hold elections in early August, insisted on preconditions: a review of membership files, a session chaired by the oldest member, and legal safeguards against future challenges.
Legal scholar Raqi Al-Mesmari echoed Al-Mishri’s concerns, arguing that any session not chaired by the official presidency would lack formal legitimacy. He called for the council’s legal committee to determine who holds rightful authority before scheduling a binding vote.
A crisis unresolved
With competing interpretations of legality, accusations of obstruction, and concerns about foreign interference, the council remains mired in uncertainty. Whether through procedural reform or political compromise, the path to a unified leadership remains elusive, and the institutional crisis continues.
