Libya's key governing institutions on Thursday agreed on a roadmap to hold long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections within eight months, raising hopes for a breakthrough in the country's prolonged political stalemate.
The heads of the parliament, Presidential Council and High Council of State said in a joint statement that the roadmap sought to end Libya's long-running transitional period and "unify the country's institutions."
The oil-rich North African country has struggled to recover from the chaos that followed the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi.
It remains divided between a U.N.-recognized government headquartered in the capital Tripoli and an eastern rival administration operating from Benghazi and Tobruk.
Benghazi-based parliament speaker Aguila Saleh, along with Presidential Council chief Mohamed el-Menfi and High Council of State leader Mohammed Takala – both based in Tripoli – said the elections would be held simultaneously by Feb. 17, 2027.
