A year after the Libyan presidential and parliamentary elections, which were scheduled for December 24, 2021, were indefinitely postponed, Libya has failed to take significant steps to reshape the political scenario.
The North African country still lacks a common legal framework that allows finding a new and reliable electoral path,” according to an Italian intelligence report.
The report indicated that since the Libyan Parliament decided, on February 10th, to appoint Fathi Bashagha as prime minister of the Sirte-based Government of National Stability (GNS), the state of coexistence between the two rival governments has come to the fore again. This is in light of the existence of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU), both of which are now vying for power and clinging to legitimacy.
It also pointed out that this fueled the state of instability and tension throughout the year, especially with regard to Bashagha’s failed attempts to enter the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and the related settling of scores between the warring armed factions.”
The Italian intelligence report added that the local actors have completely lost control to make decisions as a result of strong pressure exerted by external parties, especially Turkey, which is keen to preserve its dominant position in Libya by concluding controversial economic and military agreements with the Tripoli-based government last October.
The report concluded that the North African country is undermined by divisions between East and West and by foreign interference.
Two rival governments are now vying for power, one based in Tripoli, which is under the control of armed militias, and the other in Sirte. The East and part of the South are controlled by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA).
Notably, Libya had two separate governments from 2015 to 2020. In western Libya was the Government of National Accord led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.
In eastern Libya, the Tobruk-based House of Representatives, led by Parliamentary Speaker Ageela Saleh and Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni, was dominant.
In both western and eastern Libya, a variety of armed militias supported specific political factions and fought until a cease-fire was agreed upon in 2020 and the U.N.-led Libyan Political Dialogue Forum process was established.
This helped usher in a roadmap to elect an interim government – the 74 members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum elected Abdel Hamid Dbaiba as prime minister and Mohammad Al Mnifi as the head of the Presidential Council.
The transitional government had the mandate to lead the country to elections in December. These failed to take place due to divisions over the electoral laws, and several controversial candidates.
