Libya’s Parliament calls for new date for Presidential polls

Libya’s House of Representatives or Parliament has called on the High National Elections Commission to propose a new date for the presidential polls as soon as possible…reports Asian Lite News

The House of Representatives made the call 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, reports Xinhua news agency.

“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.

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The presidential election in Libya was scheduled for December 24, 2021.

However, along with the parliamentary elections, it was postponed indefinitely over technical and legal issues, according to the Commission.

The most notable presidential candidates in the fray include Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi; Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the eastern-based army; Aguila Saleh, the speaker of Parliament; and Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, the incumbent Prime Minister.

The elections are part of a roadmap adopted by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which aimed at restoring peace to the country after years of political turmoil and violence.