On Friday, the Libyan city of Sirte witnessed protests in front of the High National Election Commission (HNEC) headquarters in Sirte. They refused the postponement of the elections.
The protestors affirmed that the 24th of December is the decisive date for the future of the country. They called on everyone to come out to call for peace and an end to wars, raising banners with the strongest expressions of refusal to postpone the elections.
The protesters said that they chose the elections and that all parties should respect their desire to choose who represents them without coercion.
The protesters asserted that there is no solution but elections and efforts to obstruct the elections are just a political game. They stressed that it will not accept any solution except the elections.
Observers believe that the degree of skepticism about holding the elections on time is increasing with the legal obstacles faced by the announcement of the final list of candidates. However people’s adherence to the elections must defeat all existing attempts to thwart it.
On Thursday, the European Union (EU) Delegation to Africa said that the G7 reiterated their support for the holding of free, fair, inclusive and credible presidential and parliamentary elections starting on the 24th of December.
“The group also called on all Libyan political actors to refrain from actions that undermine the political process, and to adhere to the election results,” the EU delegation tweeted.
It added that they also agreed on the importance of the withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya, without delay.
This came during the G7 meeting in Liverpool, with the participation of the foreign ministers of the United States (US), Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom (UK), France, Italy, and Japan.
Notably, Libya is less than 10-days from elections seen as crucial to ending its long-running civil war. Deep political divisions threaten to provoke a delay or even renew violence.
The final list of candidates vying for the highest seat of power in the country has not yet been announced.
The first round of the Presidential elections will be held on the 24th of December. The second round, as well as the Parliamentary elections, are set to take place 50 days later. The final results will be announced simultaneously.
Western Officials have talked up a United Nations (UN)-led peace process and insist on “inclusive” and “credible” elections, despite serious disputes over how they should be held.