Libya postpones presidential election at last minute amid renewed threat of civil unrest

CAIRO — The archetypal circular of Libya’s much-anticipated statesmanlike predetermination volition not proceed connected Friday arsenic antecedently planned, a parliamentary predetermination committee announced Wednesday, solidifying expectations the ballot was untenable amid respective ongoing governmental disputes.

The delay, which was wide anticipated amid statement implicit the validity of the process and challenges to definite almighty candidates’ eligibility, comes arsenic tensions look to beryllium ramping up successful the country, which is conscionable emerging from a civilian war.

The country’s High National Election Commission projected successful a connection Wednesday that elections alternatively beryllium held connected Jan. 24, citing a scope of difficulties it encountered successful organizing the elections, including “the inadequacy of electoral authorities with respect to the judiciary’s relation successful electoral appeals and disputes.”

Confusion implicit the authorities “created a authorities of uncertainty connected whether the commission’s decisions were close with respect to its exclusion of a fig of candidates who did not conscionable the conditions,” the connection said.

The hold comes contempt the commission’s “technical readiness” to clasp the predetermination connected Dec. 24 arsenic planned, it said.

In an interrogation successful the superior of Tripoli precocious past month, the commission’s chairman, Emad al-Sayah, said that voting is important to determining whether Libya "will proceed connected the way of ideology and peaceful devolution of power...or spell to quadrate zero, wherever warfare volition instrumentality place.”

Observers and civilians person been divided implicit whether the election, which includes bids by respective of Libya’s astir arguable and divisive figures, would ratchet up fears implicit renewed struggle oregon assistance to diffuse them. In caller days, forces from respective equipped groups mobilized fighters successful the capital, prompting the U.N. to warn that specified behaviour “creates tensions and increases the hazard of clashes that could spiral into conflict.”

Three of the astir salient candidates see interim premier curate Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who had antecedently said helium would not tally successful the election; commandant Khalifa Hifter who controls overmuch of the country’s eastbound and antecedently launched an battle connected the superior of Tripoli; and Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, lad of erstwhile dictator Moammar al-Gaddafi who was overthrown and killed during the country’s 2011 revolution.

All 3 men registered to tally and past faced challenges to their eligibility successful caller weeks. Their allegiances are besides divided passim the country, mostly on geographical lines.

The younger Gaddafi is wanted by the International Criminal Court connected charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed successful 2011 and Hifter has faced warfare crimes allegations successful courts successful the United States, wherever helium lived for decades earlier returning to Libya.