Libya announces postpone elections to February 2022
The High Council of State in Libya has announced an initiative to postpone the scheduled December 24 presidential and parliamentary elections to February 2022…reports Asian Lite News
The initiative proposes to hold the presidential election simultaneously with the parliamentary election in February 2022, to form a system of a president, two deputies and a prime minister, reports Xinhua news agency.
The upcoming parliament’s main task is to prepare a constitution for the country, the Council said.
Libya announces postpone elections to February 2022
The Council also proposed to limit the term of the upcoming president and parliament to four non-renewable years.
For the initiative to succeed, a national reconciliation must be launched, measures for building confidence between the parties be adopted, and the Government provide the proper atmosphere for the elections, it noted.
In November, Khaled al-Meshri, chairman of the Council, urged voters not to participate in the upcoming elections, describing as “shameful” the election laws issued by the House of Representatives, the current parliament.
More than 2.8 million Libyan voters are expected to cast their votes to choose a president in the December 24 election, as part of a roadmap adopted by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum.
The Libyan parliamentary election, originally scheduled for the same day as the presidential poll, has been postponed to January 2022.
98 candidates apply for Libya's presidential election
A total of 98 candidates, including two females, have submitted applications for the first direct presidential election in Libya…reports Asian Lite News
Emad Al-Sayeh, Chairman of the High National Elections Commission, said that 98 people have submitted applications for presidential candidacy, and a primary list of candidates will be published in two days, reports Xinhua news agency.
Most of the political and military figures, as well as a large number of activists, academics, and artists are running for president.
98 candidates apply for Libya’s presidential election
Abdulhakim Bayo, the first presidential candidate submitted an application to the Elections Commission, said the upcoming elections are the first democratic elections in the North African country since 2011.
“I am positive that these elections are a chance for me to serve my country,” Bayo told Xinhua.
The House of Representatives, the country’s Parliament, approved the presidential election law in September and approved the parliamentary election law in October.
According to the laws, the President will be elected at the end of December by direct general secret ballots, while the parliament will be elected after a month from the presidential election.
The most notable presidential candidates include Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi; Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the eastern-based army; Aguila Saleh, the speaker of Parliament; and Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, the incumbent Prime Minister.
The elections are part of a roadmap adopted by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in February, with the aim to bring stability to Libya.
Libyan PM Libyan election laws designed to obstruct polls
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah said the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections face a major problem of “laws that are designed to obstruct the electoral process”…reports Asian Lite News
“The elections are going through a very big problem. The demand for the Libyan people to elect cannot be waived,” Dbeibah addressed the gathering of youth and student organisations in the capital Tripoli.
He accused the House of Representatives (Parliament), which drafted the election laws, of obstructing the electoral process.
Libyan PM Libyan election laws designed to obstruct polls
The prime minister stressed the need to hold elections based on “constitutional base and laws agreed upon by all”.
Libya plans to hold general elections on December 24 this year, as part of a roadmap adopted by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) with the aim to bring stability to Libya.
The House of Representatives in September approved the presidential election law, and approved the parliamentary election law in October.
However, the two laws spark controversy among some political parties that claim the laws were passed without “consensus” among the parties.
Candidates in the fray for the presidential election include Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late ousted Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi; warlord Khalifa Haftar, who previously led an insurgency from his eastern base against the UN-backed government in Tripoli; Prime Minister al-Dbeibah and Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late ousted Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, has officially submitted his candidacy documents to contest in the December 24 presidential election, the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) announced…reports Asian Lite News
“Today, Sunday, November 14, 2021, candidate Saif al-Islam Muammar Gaddafi submitted his candidacy for the presidency of the Libyan state,” Xinhua news agency quoted the commission as saying in a statement.
“Candidate Saif al-Islam Gaddafi also received his electoral card from the electoral centre (in Sebha city) in which he is registered,” said the statement.
Muammar Gaddafi’s son to run in Libyan prez polls
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was released from prison in 2017 after being detained in the western city of Zintan since the fall of his father’s regime in 2011.
He was also sentenced to death, which was later overturned.
A BBC report said that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was once the heir apparent to his father, but his support for a brutal crackdown on protesters 10 years ago tarnished his image.
Libya is expecting to hold general elections on December 24 this year, as part of a roadmap adopted by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF).
Other candidates in the running are the warlord Khalifa Haftar, who previously led an insurgency from his eastern base against the UN-backed government in Tripoli, Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah and Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh.
Libyan PM Libyan election laws designed to obstruct polls
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that next month’s elections in Libya are an essential next step on the road to peace and stability…reports Asian Lite News
This step has to be built on a strong foundation of inclusive and credible frameworks that can guarantee its success, he told the Paris conference on Libya in a video message.
“I strongly urge Libyans to come together in a spirit of national unity, to overcome remaining differences, and forge a consensus on the legal framework for the elections, in consultation with all relevant national institutions, adhering to their rules and procedures,” Xinhua news agency reported citing the UN chief as saying.
Antonio Guterres
The majority of Libyans support holding these elections. Nearly 3 million people have registered to vote so far. Their aspirations and determination to participate in free and fair elections must be met. Women and young people must be able to participate equally and meaningfully in the electoral process, both as voters and candidates, he said.
“Individual ambitions cannot stand in the way of Libya’s peaceful transition. And I call on all Libyan parties to participate in the election process, and to respect the election results,” he said.
The presence of foreign elements in Libya’s internal political and security affairs is a continued grave concern, and all foreign interference must end, said Guterres.
He commended the 5+5 Joint Military Commission for its remarkable unity of purpose and the concrete progress it has achieved. He welcomed the agreement on an action plan for the gradual, balanced, sequenced, and synchronized withdrawal of all mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign forces.
Now the plan must be implemented. And this requires the support and cooperation of all concerned stakeholders. The regional dimension of the withdrawal of foreign fighters cannot be overstated, he said.
All Libyan and foreign actors must fully support the 5+5 Joint Military Commission and respect the arms embargo in Libya. UN member states cannot defend Libya’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity at UN Headquarters in New York and practice the opposite in Libya, he said.
Antonio Elections in Libya are essential
“We also need to extend our collective focus to supporting national reconciliation efforts, and to building and strengthening rule-of-law institutions founded on human rights. Libyan authorities have the responsibility to protect all people in Libya, including migrants and refugees. I am deeply concerned about the dire conditions that refugees and migrants continue to face in detention,” he said.
There is also a need for transparent and equitable management of Libya’s wealth, as a starting point for the inclusive, sustainable development Libyans so desperately need, he added.
Libya today is closer than it has been for many years to solving its internal crisis and breaking the cycle of political transitions, said Guterres.
“We cannot miss this opportunity. I urge all those with power and influence over the situation to put the nation’s well-being and prosperity ahead of their own personal interests. Any party that deliberately undermines or sabotages peace must be held accountable.”
The UN remains fully committed to working with Libyans, the African Union, the League of Arab States, the European Union, and neighbouring countries at this crucial time, he said.
The BSP has been most vulnerable to splits with its MLAs marching out of the party in every political crisis…reports Asian Lite News.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati has started detailed profiling of Assembly constituencies to select winnable candidates for Uttar Pradesh polls, due early next year.
While the Samajwadi Party (SP) has already positioned itself as the main challenger to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the latter is nibbling away at BSP’s Dalit-MBC vote base.
Moreover, the BSP has lost a majority of its legislators to SP and a chunk of leaders have been expelled for unknown reasons by the party chief.
Mayawati is now working to look for candidates who can win the elections and, more importantly, remain loyal to the party.
“The party will focus on the loyalty factor because our legislators should not be vulnerable, in case the Assembly results throw up a hung Assembly. Mayawati is checking and rechecking the credentials of candidates before finalising their names,” said a senior party functionary.
The BSP has been most vulnerable to splits with its MLAs marching out of the party in every political crisis.
Mayawati has also asked party leaders to strengthen the party’s organisational structure to counter the well-oiled machinery of BJP, which is backed by cadres of its ideological mentor RSS and its Hindutva arm, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
The aggressive entry of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has only added to the concerns of the BSP.
Mayawati, sources said, wants to mobilise cadres that can help improve the party’s vote percentage that has been on a decline since 2012 Assembly elections.
The party has put issues like farmers’ stir against new farm laws, unemployment and poor law and order high on its agenda.
Mayawati has already whipped out a Brahmin card to replay her social engineering formula that propelled her to power with absolute majority for the first time in 2007 Assembly elections.
Mayawati also seeks to play ‘soft Hindutva’ to woo the upper caste, which has traditionally been voting in favour of the BJP.
She had set the idea rolling with MP and party’s Brahmin face S.C. Mishra addressing ‘Prabuddh Varg Sammelans’ across the state to woo the upper caste.
The move, party sources said, may essentially help in 80 reserved seats, where BSP has not been performing well in the past.
Iraq poll body confirms manual recount matches electronic results
The manual recount matched the electronic results, except for a very few invalid ballot papers, which appeared after the audit that they were valid…reports Asian Lite News
The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced that it has ended consideration of appeals and complaints submitted by several political parties over the results of the October 10 parliamentary polls.
An IHEC statement said the Commission received a total of 1,436 appeals from the country’s provinces, and it took necessary measures to consider the appeals and checked all the ballot papers in every polling station, reports Xinhua news agency.
Iraq poll body confirms manual recount matches electronic results
The statement confirmed that the manual recount matched the electronic results, except for a very few invalid ballot papers, which appeared after the audit that they were valid.
The results of the recount have been presented to the Board of Commissioners, who in turn transferred them to the IHEC’s judicial commission for approval, then the judicial commission will announce the final results.
According to the law, the country’s Federal Supreme Court must ratify the final results.
Earlier, the IHEC announced the full results of the elections, showing that the Sadrist Movement, led by prominent Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, took the lead with more than 70 seats, while the al-Fatah (Conquest) Coalition garnered 17 seats compared with 47 in the 2018 elections.
Political parties unsatisfied with the results said the elections were manipulated and that they would not accept the “fabricated results”.
Followers of the political parties rejecting the election results took to the streets in many Iraqi cities, including the capital Baghdad.
The elections, originally scheduled for 2022, were held in advance in response to months of protests against corruption, poor governance, and a lack of public services.
A total of 3,249 candidates within 167 parties and coalitions competed for 329 parliamentary seats.
The deadline for the presidential election is November 22, and December 7 for the parliamentary polls…reports Asian Lite News
Emad Al-Sayeh, chairman of the Libyan High National Elections Commission (HNEC), announced that the candidates running in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections can submit their applications from Monday onwards.
Candidates for Libyan elections can submit applications from Monday
“Tomorrow, the Commission will start implementing the two electoral processes, which will begin with accepting the applications of candidates for both the presidential and parliamentary elections,” Al-Sayeh told a press conference here on Sunday.
The deadline for the presidential election is November 22, and December 7 for the parliamentary polls, according to Al-Sayeh.
The UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in February selected a new executive authority of a unity government and a presidency council, ending years of political division in the North African country.
The new authority’s main task is to prepare for the general elections slated for December 24, as endorsed by the LPDF. Elections were previously planned for early 2019, after having scheduled for December 2018
Libyan PM Libyan election laws designed to obstruct polls
A top UN official has reiterated his support for the upcoming elections in Libya…reports Asian Lite News
Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Raisedon Zenenga made his remarks during a virtual consultation with a diverse group of civil society representatives from all across the country, reports Xinhua news agency.
“Participants shared their views on elections, with a common message that the goal for the elections should be to deliver stability and to enable the country to go out of recurrent political crises,” the UNSMIL said in a post on Twitter.
A top UN reiterated support for upcoming elections in Libya
Zenenga welcomed the engagement of participants with the UNSMIL and underscored the important role of the civil society in contributing to a stable, peaceful and democratic Libya.
“He reiterated UNSMIL’s commitment to supporting Libyans in achieving elections that are timely, credible and inclusive, in line with the Libyan political road map and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and which will yield stability for Libya,” the mission added.
The UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in February selected a new executive authority of a unity government and a presidency council, ending years of political division in the North African country.
The new authority’s main task is to prepare for the general elections to be held on December 24, as endorsed by the LPDF.
Elections were previously planned for early 2019, after having scheduled for December 2018.
Somalia urged to hold elections without further delay
International partners have called on Somali leaders to hold parliamentary elections without further delay…reports Asian Lite News
The partners including the African Union, the European Union and the UN among other foreign nations expressed concern about the continuing delays in the Somali electoral process, reports Xinhua news agency.
“We urge national and Federal Member State leaders and election management bodies to advance quickly to complete inclusive and credible House of the People elections before the end of 2021, respecting the 30 percent minimum quota for women,” the partners said in a joint statement.
Somalia urged to hold elections without further delay
Somali leaders have repeatedly delayed parliamentary and presidential elections since February over disagreements between the government and the opposition leaders including some federal member states.
The partners said while the recent start to the House of the People voting process is a positive development, the electoral timetable remains well behind schedule and needs to be accelerated.
“We also call on Galmudug authorities to immediately elect the two remaining seats to complete the Upper House electoral process,” the partners said.
Somalia on November 1 kicked off the long-awaited elections for Lower House of Parliament with the election of two members from Somaliland in Mogadishu.
The partners welcomed the recent announcement of a settlement in the dispute between President Mohamed Farmajo and Prime Minister Mohamed Roble over the running of the government affairs.
They urged the two leaders to implement the agreed terms promptly and re-focus on national priorities, especially the completion of the electoral process.
The 54-member Senate and the 275 MPs from the Lower House are expected to jointly elect a new President later this year or in early 2022.
