TRIPOLI — The
Libyan government said Sunday it is
ready to hold the country's presidential election as planned on December 24
despite persistent uncertainty that the crucial vote will go ahead on time.
اضافة اعلان
"We are ready for the elections," said Ramadan Abu
Jnah, interim head of government since premier Abdulhamid Dbeibah announced he
would run for the presidency.
"The government has spared no effort to support the
electoral commission
(HNEC). We have the chance to make December 24 a historic
day," Abu Jnah said.
Libya descended into chaos following a
NATO-backed 2011
revolt that overthrew and killed dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
The December 24 polls are intended to help the oil-rich
North African country move past a decade of violence.
But the process has been undermined by bitter divisions over
the legal basis for the elections, their dates, and who should be allowed to
run, with a string of controversial figures stepping forward.
"Nobody should deprive Libyans of this historic
deadline and we will not let anybody do so," Abu Jnah told a press
conference in the capital Tripoli, surrounded by several ministers.
He said the transitional executive was "ready to hand
over power to an elected government".
Less than a fortnight from the planned vote, the election
campaign is yet to begin, and the vote body on Saturday delayed publication of
a final list of candidates.
Interior Minister Khaled Mazen called for the presidential
vote to be held on time, and said his ministry had "carried out its work
to protect and secure voting centers" despite "obstacles".
A year of relative peace in Libya followed an October 2020
ceasefire between warring eastern and western camps, but analysts have warned
that violence could easily flare again over the elections.
An electoral law signed this September by the speaker of the
eastern-based parliament, Aguila Saleh, sparked anger in the country's west,
where many accuse him of bypassing protocol and pushing through legislation
favoring a run by his ally, strongman Khalifa Haftar.
The following month, the eastern-based House of
Representatives said a legislative vote also planned for December 24 had been
delayed to January.
Read more Region and World
.jpg)
.jpg)
