A member of the Libyan High Council of State (HCS), Idriss Boufayed, said that peaceful demonstration is a guaranteed right for all. He indicated that everyone would like to put pressure on the Presidential Council to bypass the two legislative bodies of the current legislative failure.
In press statements, Boufayed said, “we demand the Presidential Council to issue decrees with the force of law to organize the upcoming general elections.”
Regarding the current demonstrations and those behind them, he indicated that “it is not clear yet, and it is unlikely that they will continue or actually have the ability to bring down the current bodies.”
Notably, Libyan cities witnessed several large-scale protests that started last Friday, calling for the downfall of all government bodies and institutions and the departure of mercenaries. They expressed their rejection of the poor living situation, political division and the lack of services.
On Saturday, Libyan activists vowed to continue their protests until “all the ruling elites step down from power.” They asserted that they would escalate their campaign by setting up tents in city squares and declaring civil disobedience until their goals were achieved.
The demonstrations in Libya included the capital, Tripoli, and a number of major cities in the West, East and South of the country. Angry protesters set fire to the headquarters of the Libyan Parliament in Tobruk, after storming its main gate.
These protests received wide international reactions. The United Nations (UN) called for calm, adding that “the time has come to listen to the demands of the Libyan youth.” The United States (US) also expressed deep concern about the political, economic and financial stalemate that led to scenes of unrest in Libya.
These protests had several reasons, which prompted the demonstrators to take to the streets to express their rejection of the ruling system and the policies in which the country is run, raising many demands, on top of which is solving the electricity crisis and improving the living situation.