On Sunday, the Libyan Parliament Spokesman, Abdullah Blaiheg announced that Monday’s session to discuss the parliamentary election laws have been postponed until next week.
In a press statement, Blaiheg said that the decision to postpone the session aims to give the committee tasked with drafting the parliament’s election laws sufficient time to complete its mission, and submit the draft law for discussion by MP’s.
Last week, Libya’s Presidential Council called on the “legislative authorities to assume its national and legal responsibility to achieve the required legislation needed for the electoral process,” which is scheduled for 24 December.
The Parliament issued the presidential election law on 8 September, while the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) announced that it had received the law on 12 September.
Last week, the Libyan Parliament announced the withdrawal of confidence from the Government of National Unity (GNU). It is set to continue its work as a caretaker government, until the December elections.
The elections were mandated as part of a roadmap drawn up last year by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), to end the decade-long crisis. Ongoing disputes over the vote threaten to unravel the peace process .
Notably, Head of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Mnifi relayed concerns expressed by United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres over the deepening disputes. The two officials met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last week.
Guterres stressed the importance of holding the elections on time, and the need for foreign fighters and mercenaries to withdraw from Libya. Al-Mnifi hailed the UN’s ongoing efforts to end the crisis, and underscored the importance of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in ensuring the success of the political process.