The House of Representatives (HoR) called on the Head of the Presidential Council to withdraw his decision to establish an independent referendum and survey body, considering it a dangerous and unjustified step.
The council considered in a statement the decision to be in violation of the constitutional declaration, calling on all concerned institutions not to recognize it or act on its contents.
The HoR said that the Presidential Council exceeded its powers stipulated in the Geneva Agreement and went beyond them to constitutional powers that require national consensus.
It also considered that this step couldn’t be implemented by one party alone in light of the transitional circumstances that the country is going through.
The HoR also expressed reservations about the new decision’s bypassing of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) by establishing bodies with independent financial assets. It stressed that the HNEC was the only one authorized to carry out any tasks related to elections or referendums, and there was no justification for establishing parallel institutions.
Meanwhile, the advisor to the Head of the Presidential Council for Legislative Affairs and Elections, Ziyad Daghim, considered the establishment of a national commission for referendum and survey a means to resort to the people and survey their opinion, saying it is an important step toward good governance.
Daghim explained in a statement to Libya Al-Ahrar that the commission includes several bodies that are neutral and executive in electronic consultation, saying that part of its work is conducting a direct referendum and the other part is concerned with national survey.
He pointed out that the commission had the right to cooperate with local and international observers and bodies to ensure the implementation of its work, neutrality and independence, and that its results would be correct and acceptable.
Daghim stressed that the people should have their say and express their opinion on the points of contention in any issue, adding that it is time to survey the people on many upcoming decisions so that they are legitimate.
