Ten Western Governments Back Tunis Election Deal Amid Domestic Dispute Over Its Legitimacy

Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States issued a joint declaration welcoming 'the agreement reached on 20 August in Tunis by the Libyan parties on the reconstitution of the Council of the National High Elections Commission and on the electoral framework,' calling it 'an important step toward inclusive and transparent national elections and unified institutions.' The statement reaffirmed backing for UNSMIL and Special Representative Hanna Tetteh's UN-facilitated process and Libya's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. The declaration lands as the deal it endorses remains contested inside Libya: Presidential Council head Mohamed al-Menfi and High State Council member Nuh al-Malati have both publicly questioned the text's legitimacy and the signatories' authority to bind their institutions.