The High Council of State (HCS) suspended its election session on Tuesday, amid controversy over the ballot paper that caused the electoral race between current Head Mohamed Takala and former Head Khalid Al-Mishri to be inconclusive.
The HCS began the session to elect the new Head Tuesday morning, with three candidates: Takala, Al-Mishri, and Adel Karmos, with the attendance of 138 members.
The decision to elect the Head was postponed to a second round, after Takala received 67 votes and Al-Mishri 54, while Karmos left the race with a small number of votes.
In the second round, an ballot paper sparked controversy within the HCS, as one voter wrote Mohamed Takala's name on the back of the ballot paper, which was decisive after Al-Mishri received 69 votes, and Takala received 68 votes, without counting a paper on which Mohamed Takala's name was written, but in the wrong place. If the controversial paper is counted, Takala will become equal in the number of votes with Al-Mishri: 69 votes' tie.
Amid the ongoing dispute, the presidency of the High Council of State requested that the live broadcast of the session be cut off without the result being decided. This came as Al-Mishri called on all members to accept the election results.
HCS member Naima Al-Hami told Libya Al-Ahrar TV channel that Takala assigned First Deputy Masoud Obeid to manage the HCS affairs until the judiciary makes a decisive decision.
The HCS elections on Tuesday was the ninth since its establishment in 2015 after signing the political agreement in Skhirat, Morocco.
