The United States has proposed a delayed Libyan presidential election ending in September 2022, in a bid to salvage a roadmap for polls in December. The elections have been resisted by the transitional government and other Libyan factions, according to a document obtained by The Africa Report Magazine.
The magazine said the US proposal was presented to France, Germany, Italy, and United Kingdom, which are major stakeholders in Libya, adding that the proposal hasn’t been made public yet.
The proposal says it will ensure Libyan parties commit to parliamentary elections on 24 December, and then a second round of presidential elections on 15 September 2022. It added that Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba is hoping to run for president in the upcoming elections, despite the fact that the UN-brokered roadmap of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) prohibits current acting officials from being able to run.
Africa Report reported sources as saying that Dbaiba is against the US proposal, and is pushing to extend the mandate of his government since he was appointed in February. It added that a spokesman for the government has refused to comment on the proposal.
These developments come amid a state of anticipation for elections, and the presence of obstacles in the political track. This is represented by the failure to adopt a constitutional basis and electoral laws, as well as rising tensions between the Libyan Parliament and the government.