Libyan lawmakers warn ‘6+6’ Committee against overstepping boundaries

CAIRO - 4 June 2023: On Saturday, a group of 61 Libyan parliamentarians issued a statement criticizing the '6+6' Committee, a body comprising representatives from both the House of Representatives and the State Council responsible for drafting electoral laws. The committee was accused by the MPs of overstepping its bounds and deviating from its initial mandate on issues related to the presidential election.

The lawmakers held the House of Representatives' leadership responsible for endorsing or accepting the committee’s decisions without consulting the entire parliament.

While the MPs acknowledged the progress made by the '6+6' Committee in the statement, they expressed worries over suggestions from some committee members about potentially increasing the number of members in the House of Representatives.

The parliamentarians strongly advised the '6+6' Committee against any changes to the distribution of parliamentary seats, either through an increase or decrease, stating that this decision should be left to the upcoming constitution. They further emphasized the necessity for the committee to immediately meet again at the parliamentary assembly to discuss and reach consensus, a standard practice for all committees, especially the Foreign Affairs Committee.

This statement was supported by 61 MPs, among them Sultan Al-Mismari, Saleh Hashem Ismail, Amer Omran Nasr, and Issa Al-Arabi.