TRIPOLI, Jan 4 (NNN-Xinhua) — Libya’s House of Representatives, the parliament, urged the High National Elections Commission to propose a new date for the presidential election as soon as possible.
The House of Representatives made the call in a statement after a parliament session, during which 80 of its members gathered to hear the briefing of the Commission’s head on the failure to hold the presidential election on schedule.
“The High National Elections Commission should communicate with all departments and agencies involved in the electoral process in order to lift the state of force majeure and set a new date for the elections,” said the statement.
According to Emad al-Sayeh, head of High National Elections Commission, “conflicting legal rulings that were not released on time, and threats made to the Commission against publishing the final list of presidential candidates containing certain names” were among the factors that prevented the presidential election from taking place on time.
Meanwhile, United Nations envoy Stephanie Williams reiterated the world body’s support for the electoral process in Libya.
The UN secretary-general’s special adviser for Libya made the remarks during a meeting with the Libyan presidential council in the capital, saying it is important to consolidate efforts to “push the electoral process forward, address existing bottlenecks, and embark on an inclusive and comprehensive national reconciliation process.”
“I reiterated the United Nations’ commitment to providing all the necessary support to the Libyan people and authorities in achieving these critical objectives,” the envoy wrote on Twitter.
Libya’s presidential election was due to take place on Dec 24, 2021. The country’s High National Elections Commission suggested on Dec 22 that the election be postponed by a month to Jan 24 over technical and legal concerns.
The election is part of a roadmap adopted by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum to help restore peace to the country after years of political turmoil and violence. — NNN-XINHUA
