Libya’s Rival Camps Sign the 4+4 Electoral Deal — and Haftar Backs It
Libya · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —Signing Representatives of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity and of Khalifa Haftar’s forces signed the final agreement of the UN-backed “4+4” committee on Sunday 30 August, at the UN mission’s headquarters in Tripoli. The ceremony was broadcast live.
- —Elections The deal sets a timetable of no more than 24 months for presidential and parliamentary elections, to be held under a single executive authority and unified national institutions.
- —Haftar Eastern commander Khalifa Haftar publicly welcomed the agreement and reaffirmed his commitment to “the unification of the Libyan state”.
- —Next step Libya’s two rival legislative bodies have one month to ratify the deal. If they do not, its backers will seek to adopt it nationally as a constitutional document.
Libya’s rival camps have signed a UN-brokered electoral framework that promises national elections within two years — and this time the eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar is publicly on board.
Representatives of Libya’s two main power centres signed the final agreement of the so-called 4+4 committee on Sunday at the headquarters of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, known as UNSMIL, in Tripoli. The UN had announced the ceremony on Saturday and streamed it live.
The agreement is the most concrete step yet towards ending a split that has left the oil-rich country with two rival administrations since 2014, and it is the first such framework to carry the open backing of Khalifa Haftar, the military commander whose forces control the east and south.
What was signed in Tripoli
The agreement was read out by Walid al-Lafi, who led the delegation of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, and al-Shaibani Abu Hamoud, who headed the delegation of the General Command of Haftar’s Libyan National Army. The UN envoy to Libya, Hanna Tetteh, attended the ceremony.
At its core, the deal commits the parties to holding presidential and parliamentary elections within 24 months, under a single executive authority and unified national institutions. It also reshuffles the board of the High National Elections Commission, the body that would run the vote, naming Dhaou Ibrahim Attia as chairman and Sana al-Lishani as his deputy.
What the 4+4 committee is
The “4+4” is a small dialogue format the UN set up to break Libya’s political logjam without convening a large, unwieldy conference. It brings together two representatives from each of the country’s four main institutions: the Government of National Unity in Tripoli, the High Council of State, the eastern-based House of Representatives, and the Libyan National Army — hence four plus four.
The committee’s discussions began in Rome on 29 April and continued through seven rounds of talks at the UN mission’s offices in Tunis. The parties initialled a draft final agreement there on 20 August, paving the way for Sunday’s formal signing in the Libyan capital.
What the deal actually says
Beyond the two-year election timetable, the text tackles the questions that killed Libya’s last attempt at a vote, in December 2021, when disputes over who was allowed to run forced an indefinite postponement.
Dual nationals may stand for president, provided the winner renounces any non-Libyan nationality before taking the constitutional oath — a clause aimed at one of the most bitter eligibility fights of 2021. Military personnel may run and vote. Presidential candidates must gather 20,000 endorsements from registered voters across the country.
The permanent constitution — unfinished since the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi — is left to the parliament elected under the new process. To underline national unity, sessions of the elected House of Representatives and of the executive authority are to rotate between Tripoli, Benghazi and Sabha, representing the west, east and south.
Haftar’s endorsement is the headline
Hours after the signing, Haftar issued a statement through his forces’ media channels welcoming the agreement. He called it progress on issues “that have remained unresolved for years and have obstructed the will of Libyans to move toward holding presidential and parliamentary elections”.
He reaffirmed his “commitment to working toward the unification of the Libyan state and defending the demands of the Libyan people to end the state of chaos and division”. For a commander who launched an assault on Tripoli in 2019 and has kept a parallel administration in the east, that public alignment is the strongest signal yet that his camp will not veto the process.
Everyone is applauding — for now
Tripoli’s prime minister, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, welcomed the signing, as did Haftar’s son and deputy Saddam Haftar and Osama Hammad, who heads the eastern parallel government. The European Union’s delegation and member-state missions called the agreement “a meaningful milestone” and urged Libya’s institutions to implement it without delay.
Tetteh described the deal as “another important milestone in Libya’s journey toward stability and national unity”, while cautioning that the responsibility now lies “in translating this agreement into tangible actions”.
What could still go wrong
The deal’s own fine print shows how fragile it is. The House of Representatives in Benghazi and the High Council of State in Tripoli — the two rival legislative bodies whose quarrels have derailed every roadmap since 2021 — have one month to ratify it.
If they fail, the signatories plan to push the text through “broader national mechanisms” as a constitutional document and seek backing from the UN Security Council. Whether that route is workable — and whether the political forces that profit from a permanent transition accept a nationwide vote — will decide if this agreement fares better than its predecessors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 4+4 committee?
A UN-facilitated dialogue format with two representatives from each of Libya’s four main institutions: the Government of National Unity, the High Council of State, the House of Representatives and the Libyan National Army. It has met since April to settle the rules for national elections.
When would Libyans actually vote?
The agreement sets a maximum of 24 months for presidential and parliamentary elections, held under a single executive authority. The clock depends on ratification by the country’s two legislative bodies within one month.
Does Khalifa Haftar really support it?
Yes. In a statement issued by his forces’ General Command, Haftar welcomed the signing and reaffirmed his commitment to “the unification of the Libyan state”. His own delegation co-signed the agreement in Tripoli.
Why did the last election attempt fail?
A presidential and parliamentary vote scheduled for December 2021 collapsed over disputes about candidate eligibility and the legal framework, and was postponed indefinitely. The new deal rewrites those rules, including a clause on dual nationals.
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Sources
- libyaobserver.ly (Haftar backs outcomes of Libya’s 4+4 group meetings)
- libyaobserver.ly (UNSMIL announces signing of 4+4 Group agreement)
- libyaherald.com (UNSMIL Hosts Agreement Signing for Libya’s Electoral Framework; PM Aldabaiba Welcomes 4+4 Committee Agreement)
- middle-east-online.com (Libya’s rival factions agree two-year path to national elections)
- unsmil.unmissions.org (UN Support Mission in Libya)
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