Libyan leaders discussed political settlement and election preparations

Meeting of the two leaders

Head of Libya's Presidential Council Mohamed al-Menfi and head of the High Council of State Mohamed Takala on Sunday discussed efforts to achieve a national political settlement that should pave the way to elections. As reported by the Anadolu agency citing a statement by the Presidential Council, the meeting addressed political developments and creating conditions for resuming the political process, a comprehensive national settlement and the transition to elections.

The judiciary and sovereign institutions

According to participants, both sides stressed the need to protect the judicial system and its independence, shielding it from 'any interference or political disputes.' They described the judiciary as a constitutional pillar of state stability and a guarantee of the rule of law, rights and freedoms. The leaders also pointed to the importance of preserving the unity and independence of sovereign institutions and respecting the powers defined by law — in order to avoid competing centers of decision-making and the use of institutions in political disputes.

Context: the work of the '4+4' committee

The meeting took place against the backdrop of ongoing talks. On Wednesday, the '4+4' committee agreed to expand consultations with various components of the judicial system, seeking to unify it and ensure its role in supporting presidential and parliamentary elections. The committee, which includes four representatives each from the Government of National Unity and the command of the forces in the east of the country, has been holding UN-sponsored talks since April 2026 to overcome the political deadlock and advance the UN roadmap, primarily on elections and unifying the executive branch.

Previously reached agreements

On August 30, the committee reached an agreement on restructuring the council of the High National Elections Commission and setting a schedule for presidential and parliamentary elections within no more than 24 months — with a unified executive branch and unified national institutions. Thus, the discussion of the independence of the judiciary and sovereign institutions at the highest level complements the committee's already recorded agreements: these are successive steps toward preparing elections, not a new separate decision.