2021 Libyan general election

A 2021 Libyan general election will be held on 24 December.[1] Elections had previously been planned for early 2019,[2][3] after having earlier been planned for 10 December 2018.[4] The elections are intended to consist of presidential and parliamentary elections.

2021 Libyan presidential election
24 December 2021
President before election

Fayez al-Sarraj
Independent

 Elected President

TBD

2021 Libyan parliamentary election
24 December 2021
All 200 seats up for election
101 seats needed for a majority
Prime Minister before election

Fayez al-Sarraj
Independent

 Elected Prime Minister

TBD

Libya
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Libya

Member State of the Arab League

Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Administrative divisions
Elections
Foreign relations
 Libya portal

The four people who agreed to the original deal in May 2018 were: Fayez al-Sarraj (head of the Government of National Accord), Khalifa Haftar (head of the Libyan National Army), Aguila Saleh Issa (head of the House of Representatives), and Khalid al-Mishri (head of the High Council of State).[5] This was supported by the final report of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue for the preparatory phase of the Libyan National Conference, which stated that Libyans participating in the consultative process "expressed fatigue and frustration with the current political situation and called for an election or other major change to usher in a new system".[6]

The elections, to be organised by the High National Election Commission (HNEC), were delayed by the start of a military operation by Haftar's Libyan National Army to take control of the capital Tripoli from the GNA, in April 2019. The Libyan National Conference was also supposed to have been held that month to organise the framework for carrying out the elections. Municipal elections started in March and April 2019 and were organised by the Central Commission of Municipal Council Elections in close cooperation with HNEC.[7][8][9][10]

Background
Main articles: Libyan Civil War (2014–present) and Libyan peace process

2017

In a surprise offensive on 3 March 2017, the Islamist-dominated Benghazi Defense Brigades seized a number of oil ports from the Libyan National Army-backed House of Representatives.[11] On 7 March 2017, the ports were handed over to the Government of National Accord, prompting the House of Representatives to abandon the UN-brokered peace deal it had previously agreed to with that government, denouncing the BDB capture of the ports as "terrorist attacks".[12] The House then called for Libya's electoral commission to make "all the necessary arrangements to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections before February 2018".[13]

2018

In May 2018, talks occurred in Paris, France, where leaders of the Government of National Accord and representatives of Haftar's Libyan National Army agreed on establishing a legal framework by 16 September 2018 to hold elections in December.[14] In July, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Libya to speak with GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj on making sure the elections went forward, and announcing that France donated US$1 million for the election.[15] The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stated in early August 2018 that he doubted that elections would be held at the end of the year, despite France's push,[16] and Italian ambassador to Libya Giuseppe Perrone echoed this view.[17] The Italian embassy in Tripoli later denied that Perrone was trying to delay the election after his statements were criticized by the Libyan House of Representatives.[18] Ghassan Salamé, the United Nations representative in Libya, stated that an election in December 2018 would be unlikely due to the ongoing fighting.[19]

In November 2018, major Libyan political figures attended the two-day Palermo Conference in an attempt to resolve the Libyan Conflict, but without a breakthrough.[20]

2019

In January 2019, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi called for elections "as soon as possible."[21]

One of the major aims of the Libyan National Conference, which was initially scheduled for 14–16 April 2019, but postponed because of the 2019–20 Western Libya campaign, was to recommend methods and dates of the 2019 elections to the Libyan House of Representatives and High Council of State.[22]

According to resolution 8/2013 of the General National Congress (GNC), the body responsible for the practical aspects of organising the elections is the High National Elections Commission (HNEC).[23][24] HNEC is expected to follow the procedures outlined in resolution 17/2013 of the GNC.[23] As of 2019, the HNEC Board consisted of Emad Alshadly al-Sayah, Rabab Mohammed Halab, Abdelhakim Alshaab Belkhair and Abubakr Ali Marda.[25]

The 2019 Libyan local elections took place in 20 localities, prior to the parliamentary and presidential elections, in March and April 2019,[7][8][9][10] with further planned elections in other towns during 2019. The local elections are coordinated by the Central Commission of Municipal Council Elections in close cooperation with HNEC.[24]

In 2019, Libyan Speaker of the House Aguila Saleh announced that elections could be held in 2020.[26]

2020

On 16 September 2020, Fayez al-Sarraj stated that he would step down from his position by the end of October 2020. This took place after the first month of the start of the 2020 Libyan protests in Tripoli, Benghazi and other cities across Libya.[27][28]

Presidential candidates

Individuals who have publicly expressed interest

References
  1. "Libya talks set December 2021 date for elections". Al Jazeera. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  2. "Libya election to take place in early 2019: UN envoy". Al Jazeera. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  3. "Libya elections by June 2019, UN envoy tells Reuters at Palermo Conference". Libyan Express. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  4. "Libya's rival leaders agree to hold elections in December". Al Jazeera. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  5. "Libya rivals agree 'historic' election plan". BBC. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  6. "The Libyan National Conference Process: Final Report" (PDF). Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  7. "Libya holds municipal elections in first vote for five years". Middle East Monitor. 31 March 2019. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  8. "UN envoy hails Libyans' keenness on holding municipal elections despite war". The Libya Observer. 20 April 2019. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  9. Alharathy, Safa (28 April 2019). "Sabha holds municipal council elections". The Libya Observer. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  10. "Central Committee for Municipal Elections confirms the election of six new mayors to municipal councils". The Libya Observer. 1 May 2019. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  11. How Haftar lost the oil ports - as Libya moves closer to uncontrolled break-up Middle East Eye, 7 March 2017
  12. Libya’s eastern parliament quits UN peace deal with Tripoli Al-Arabiya, 8 March 2017
  13. HoR calls for presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya in early 2018 Libyan Express, 9 March 2017
  14. Lewis, Aidan (30 May 2018). Libya's December election goal faces political, legal, security hurdles. Reuters.
  15. French foreign minister visits Libya to boost election push. The New Arab. Published 23 July 2018.
  16. Vagnoni, Giselda (8 August 2018). Italy's PM Conte sees no rush for Libyan election. Reuters.
  17. Zaptia, Sami (9 August 2018). HoR denouncess Italian ambassador Perrone’s election comments – calls for his replacement. Libya Herald.
  18. Zaptia, Sami (10 August 2018). Italian embassy in Tripoli denies Perrone requested delay in holding Libyan elections. Libya Herald.
  19. "Hard to hold Libya elections in December: UN envoy". Agence France-Presse. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  20. Zaptia, Sami (14 November 2019). "Palermo Libya conference makes no major breakthrough, postpones elections, reaffirms LPA and Action Plan". Libya Herald. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  21. "Gaddafi's Son Calls for Libyan Elections 'As Soon As Possible,' But What is Russia's Role?". Fort Russ. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  22. Zaptia, Sami (9 April 2019). "UNSMIL postpones Ghadames National Conference until conditions are right". Libya Herald. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  23. "About Us". High National Elections Commission. 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  24. "Project Document – Libya – Local Elections" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 4 February 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  25. "The Board". High National Elections Commission. 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  26. "Libyan elections can be held in 2020: HoR speaker". 218 News. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  27. "Libya's Tripoli-based PM Al-Sarraj to stand down". Arab News. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  28. "Libya's UN-backed PM al-Sarraj says he plans to quit". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  29. Crilly, Rob (20 March 2018). "Gaddafi's son Saif 'to run for Libyan president' in 2018 elections". Telegraph.
  30. "In Saif hands: Gaddafi's son to run for Libya president". The New Arab. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  31. Jahwar, Jamal; Mahmoud, Khalid (12 August 2018). "Libya: Haftar Sees Solution in Upcoming Election". Asharq Al-Awsat.
  32. Zaptia, Sami (20 August 2018). "Aref Nayed re-launches Ihya movement and announces his candidacy for Libya's forthcoming elections". Libya Herald. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.