According to reports, Libya’s Presidential election, which was scheduled to take place on Friday, December 24, 2021, has now been postponed to next year over for unpreparedness of Parliament.
Lawmakers on the committee overseeing the vote concluded that holding the election on the scheduled time would be “impossible.”
As a result, the High National Electoral Commission has suggested postponing the first round of voting to January 24, 2022, according to a statement on its Facebook page.
More than 2.5 million Libyan citizens are eligible to cast their votes. Libyan parliamentary elections, originally planned to be held on the same day as the presidential poll, have also been postponed to January 2022.
Lawmaker Al Hadi al-Sagheer wrote to Parliament Speaker, Aguila Saleh that, “After consulting the technical, judicial, and security reports, we inform you of the impossibility of holding the elections.”
Why the Postponement of the Election?
The Commission disbanded electoral committees late on Tuesday and handed responsibility for the vote over to the parliament.
According to the report, Parliament never released a final list of candidates, with many of them highly contested.
In total, close to 100 people have been running for office in the deeply divided and war-torn country.
Other obstacles include disputes over the laws governing the election, infighting among armed groups, a long-running rift between the country’s east and west and the presence of thousands of foreign fighters.
UN Efforts to Restore Peace Now In Doubt
Friday’s election was to mark a fresh start for Libya a year after a landmark cease-fire deal.
Nonetheless, the cancellation of the Presidential poll is a major setback to the peace process aimed at ending a decade of chaos in the wake of a 2011 revolt that removed late dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Many Libyans had registered for the vote, and some lawmakers have called for protests after it was called off.
The status of the interim government that was installed in March as part of the UN peace process is also at risk.
The US ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, stated that the delay was a disappointment.
The Ambassador, thus, urged the parties to “expeditiously address all legal and political obstacles to hold elections, including finalizing the list of presidential candidates.”
Mr Norland noted that arrangements for the elections should be a priority for all the Libyan authorities.
Tensions in Tripoli
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed concern over the unfolding security situation in the capital, Tripoli, where forces affiliated with different armed groups have been deploying.
The current mobilization “creates tensions and increases the risk of clashes that could spiral into conflict,” UNSMIL said in a statement.
“Any disagreements on emerging political or military matters should be resolved through dialogue, particularly at this stage when the country is navigating through a difficult and complex electoral process that should usher in a peaceful transition.”
UNSMIL
Libya has faced critical political and security challenges in the decade since the overthrow of former leader Muammar Gadaffi.
UNSMIL warned that the developments in Tripoli “do not bode well” for ongoing efforts towards maintaining the stability, security and political conditions conducive to holding elections that are peaceful, credible, inclusive, free and fair.
