Voter registration for Libya's upcoming elections extended for 2 weeks

CAIRO - 2 August 2020: Libya's Higher Commission of Elections announced on Monday that the voter registration for the upcoming elections has been extended for two additional weeks to end on August 17.

Libyans living abroad will start registering on August 18 until September 15, said chairman of the commission Imad al Sayeh in a press conference.

In July, Libya’s interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh has called on all Libyan political parties to make concessions to render the election process a success and prioritize Libya's interests over personal demands.

Addressing a ceremony marking the inauguration of the election media center, he said his government would take measures necessary for approving the election process.

For his part, speaker of the House of Representatives Aquila Saleh expressed hope that the Libyan Election Commission would proceed with its work according to schedule in line with the roadmap emanating from the Libyan political dialogue.

Deputy Speaker of the Libyan Presidential Council Moussa Al Koni also said Sunday all Libyan partiers agreed to organize elections even if they disagree on formalities.

In a speech marking the inauguration of the media center of the Higher Election Commission, he said all parties are in a race against time to hold the elections.

Libyan delegates failed to agree on a legal framework to hold presidential and parliamentary elections later this year, the UN said on Saturday, putting an agreed-upon roadmap to end the conflict there in jeopardy.

The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), a 75-member body from all walks of life in Libya, concluded its five days of talks in a hotel outside Geneva on Friday, the UN support mission in Libya said.

Participants in the UN-brokered talks discussed several proposals for a constitutional basis for the elections, including some that were not consistent with the roadmap that set the vote on Dec. 24. Others sought to establish preconditions to hold elections as planned, the mission said. 

Since the outbreak of the Libyan crisis nine years ago, Egypt has consistently advocated the need for a comprehensive approach to end the Libyan crisis by dealing with all of its political, economic and social dimensions and not being limited to the security dimension.

Egypt, with its great people and strong army, continues to work for peace and call for the settlement of all crises through political tracks that meet the aspirations of the people and respect the rules of international legitimacy. However, this does not mean surrendering and negotiating with the enemy forces, terrorist militias and mercenaries brought in to threaten regional and international peace and security.

Libya, a major North African oil and gas producer, has enjoyed little peace since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, and the sprawling country has been split since 2014 between rival factions.