The Head of Libyan High National Electoral Commission (HNEC) Emad Al-Din Al-Sayeh said that all of Libya will be one electoral district in which all presidential candidates will compete with one another. He added that 50% + 1 of the votes will be necessary to win the first round.
In press statements, Al-Sayeh noted, “If no candidate obtains 50% + 1 of the votes, the two candidates who obtained the most votes in the first round will compete in a second round.”
In terms of the Parliamentary elections, Al-Sayeh stressed that it depends on an individual system. He explained that the country has been divided into 75 electoral districts, and the candidate with the most votes in his district would win a seat in Parliament.
He clarified that the elections laws issued by the Libyan Parliament are technically applicable. He also noted that it recently responded to the technical amendments HNEC requested to the laws.
On Wednesday, the UN Development Program in Libya (UNDP) provided $883,503.00 dollars to the ‘Promoting Elections for the People of Libya’ (PEPOL) project, according to a statement by the organisation.
This came during a meeting attended by Al-Sayeh and the UNDP Resident Representative, Marc-André Franche in Tripoli.
The contribution will increase funding available for the procurement of electoral materials, in preparation for the country’s upcoming elections.
The project supports the capacity and readiness of HNEC to prepare and conduct the elections. It is implemented by the United Nations Electoral Support Team (UNEST), comprising of experts from UNDP Libya, and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), who provide technical advice and support.
“We signed today the cost-sharing agreement with UNDP Libya that provides support to HNEC through local and international partners. This agreement is to cover the procurement of electoral materials to be used in the upcoming 24 December elections,” Al-Sayeh said.
In turn, Franche stated that “by contributing to efforts led by UNDP and UNSMIL, HNEC is supporting the rights of the Libyan people to determine their leadership through elections. Along with other partners, UNDP is standing by Libya to further advance the country’s progress on free, inclusive, and fair elections.”