Libya’s High National Elections Commission (HNEC) announced on Monday that it has officially begun preparations to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in mid-April 2026, marking a renewed attempt to end years of political deadlock in the divided country.

In a statement published on its official Facebook page, the High National Elections Commission said it has started preparing and publishing the regulatory frameworks needed for the election of both the head of state and members of parliament. The commission also confirmed it is currently drafting detailed regulations governing candidate nominations to allow prospective candidates sufficient time to review conditions and procedures ahead of the polls.

As part of its efforts, the HNEC urged the United Nations Support Mission in Libya to accelerate mediation efforts to resolve disputes over proposed amendments to Libya’s electoral laws. These amendments were drafted by the so-called 6+6 Committee, a joint body made up of six members of the House of Representatives and six members of the High Council of State tasked with developing the legal framework for the elections.

The House of Representatives, based in eastern Libya, and the High Council of State, based in Tripoli, remain central actors in the country’s political process and institutional negotiations, despite their longstanding disagreements.

Libya has remained deeply fragmented since the 2011 overthrow and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country is currently split between two rival administrations: the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and the eastern-based government appointed by the House of Representatives and headed by Osama Hammad.

The planned 2026 elections are widely seen as a crucial step toward reunifying Libya’s political institutions and ending the parallel governance that has dominated the country for more than a decade. (ILKHA)