Libyan actors propose ‘sequenced’ elections

TRIPOLI, Libya

Representatives of a Libyan group on Tuesday proposed holding the country's elections on a sequenced basis, starting with the parliamentary polls.

The proposal was made during a meeting between Stephanie Williams, the UN secretary-general’s special adviser on Libya, Raisedon Zenenga, the coordinator for the UN Special Mission in Libyan (UNSMIL), and representatives of the National Forces for Change.

Williams tweeted that representatives of the National Forces for Change "presented their proposal for a sequenced approach to the electoral process with the holding of parliamentary elections first."

"We reiterated the need to keep the electoral process moving forward and realize the aspirations of the 2.8m Libyan citizens who registered to vote,” she added.

Libya’s presidential elections were scheduled to take place on December 24 under a UN roadmap, but the country’s elections commission proposed a 1-month delay, citing inadequacies in electoral legislation and appeals related to candidates’ eligibility.

The House of Representatives (parliament), for its part, proposed a six-month postponement of the vote.

Libyan rival parties have been in disagreement over the voting timetable for the presidential and parliamentary elections to be held simultaneously or one after the other.

Libyans hope that the upcoming elections will contribute to ending an armed conflict that has plagued the oil-rich country for years.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara