Libya urged to postpone presidential poll ‘quickly’

[sharminsultana]

London (AFP) – The United States and four European powers on Friday urged war-torn Libya to quickly set a new date for a delayed presidential election.

In a joint statement, they urged the leaders of the North African country to designate a new date “quickly” and release the final list of presidential candidates, which had been a key point of contention as the elections approached. elections scheduled for Friday. .

“We call on the relevant Libyan authorities to respect the aspirations of the Libyan people for quick elections,” said Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States.

Authorities overseeing the country’s first-ever presidential election job function email database said earlier this week that holding it as scheduled on Friday would be “impossible”.

The vote was intended to mark a new beginning for the oil-rich country, a year after a historic ceasefire and more than a decade after his 2011 revolt that toppled and killed dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

But speculation about a delay had been mounting for weeks. There were bitter disputes over the legal basis of the vote, the credentials of the winner and the candidacies of several deeply conflicting personalities.

The country’s electoral commission has suggested postponing the vote until January 24, but it remains to be seen whether an agreement can be reached between the divided institutions.