On Monday, Member of the Libyan Parliament, Saleh Afhima commented yesterday’s Parliamentary briefing session for the Head of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC), Emad Al-Sayeh.
“The briefing session has ended on the following summary; HNEC is setting the appropriate date for holding the elections with the Libyan Parliament,” he said.
The MP added that HNEC would set the date for the elections after conducting the necessary consultations with the concerned authorities. This is to lift the state of force majeure that, according to the commission’s report, prevented the elections from being held.
“In a direct question directed by the Parliament Speaker in charge, Fawzi Al-Nuwari about whether HNEC can meet the 24 January date as a suitable alternative date to 24 December, Al-Sayeh replied, ‘The commission cannot set a date until after the force majeure is removed,’ ” Afhima noted.
Earlier, Al-Sayeh stated that one of the Presidential candidates submitted false documents, adding, “we have evidence of his fraud.”
During a briefing before the Libyan Parliament, he claimed that “we referred several appeals to the Attorney General to prove to the Libyan people that the commission is committed to the principle of holding fair and transparent elections.”
Al-Sayeh’s statements came in response to accusations that HNEC was a failed institution, and was not able to fulfil its duty.
During his speech, Al-Sayeh announced that the commission is “technically ready to hold the country’s Presidential elections.”
He said that they received more than 5,400 candidacy bids for the Parliamentary elections, noting that some of them include falsified documents.
The Head also confirmed that the commission was communicating with the Interior Ministry, which had drawn up a well-prepared plan to secure the elections. This failed to materialise due to the deteriorating political and security situation on the ground.
Al-Sayeh claimed that one of the Presidential candidates had, “criticized the commission on a televised interview aired on a foreign channel, but we have evidence that he had forged his recommendation signatures.”