Libya's rival administrations have agreed to hold national elections within the next two years as part of efforts to reunify the country after years of political division.
The agreement was reached on Sunday following months of United Nations backed negotiations involving representatives of Libya's eastern and western authorities under the 4+4 Committee.
The two sides signed an agreement aimed at restructuring the country's electoral commission and resolving disputes over electoral laws, paving the way for elections to be conducted under a unified authority and what they described as unique national sovereign institutions.
Moussa Al-Koni, Vice President of Libya's Presidential Council, said the agreement represented an important political opportunity that must be protected and strengthened. He said the process should help Libya move beyond managing its divisions towards ending them, while turning discussions about elections into concrete progress towards holding them.
Libya has remained deeply divided since the overthrow and killing of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, which plunged the North African country into years of political instability and armed conflict.
The country has since been divided between rival administrations: Abdulhamid Dbeibah's internationally recognised Government of National Unity in the west and the eastern administration backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar. The latest agreement is expected to provide a framework for restructuring key state institutions and preparing Libya for long delayed national elections.
Source: Channels