Libyan parliament approves law on legislative elections

TRIPOLI, Libya

Libya's House of Representatives on Monday approved a law on legislative elections ahead of polls scheduled for Dec. 24, 2021, according to the official Libyan News Agency.

The agency quoted parliament spokesman Abdullah Belhaq as saying that the parliament election law was "approved in today's session, and thus the parliament has completed the necessary legislation to organize presidential and parliamentary elections."

According to the agency, Monday's session was chaired by the first deputy speaker of parliament, Fawzi Al-Nuwairi, and was devoted to voting on Law No. 10 of 2021 on the election of the next House of Representatives.

The legislative body had referred the presidential election law to the UN Special Envoy for Libya, Jan Kubis, on Sept. 8 after approving it.

Article 12 of the law sparked controversy as it grants candidates, whether civilian or military, the right to run for elections without resigning from their existing posts, allowing them to return to their position in case of a loss. Critics consider this as a prelude to the candidacy of renegade General Khalifa Haftar.

On Sept. 19, the High Council of State announced that it had approved a draft constitutional basis for holding the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in the event that it was not possible to organize a popular referendum on a draft constitution for the country.

Until Monday, the Libyan sides had not been able to agree on a constitutional basis regulating the conduct of the upcoming elections.

An elected transitional authority comprising of a unity government and a presidential council assumed its duties on March 16 to lead the country to elections.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat