
Libya’s parliamentary committee has postponed the long-awaited Libyan presidential elections. The elections were intended to take place on December 24th, 2021, but were postponed two days prior. A new election date has yet to be set. Entities both within and outside of Libya disagree about Libya’s priorities as it seeks to establish a stable democracy in the wake of two civil wars. This poses important implications for the United States as it tries to encourage democracy in Libya, establish a strategic and friendly partnership with oil-rich Libya, and predict who will come to power once elections are held.
Libya and the United Nations
One of the stated reasons for the parliamentary committee’s hesitancy to go forward with presidential elections is a lack of proper legislation and governmental organization. Libya is currently split between two legislative bodies. Despite some attempts to reconcile and split national duties between them, Libya’s east and west have failed to completely unite, draft a new Libyan constitution, list specific eligibility requirements
Without defined eligibility criteria for presidential candidates, another current point of contention is the questionable characters of Libya’s current candidates and the potential for those candidates to incite conflict. These candidates include Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who is the son of Libya’s previous authoritarian leader and wanted
Though these issues need to be resolved in order for the Libyan population to move forward confidently with a presidential election, many fear that postponing the election for too long will greatly harm Libya’s chances at democracy. 2.8 million Libyans registered to vote in the election before it was postponed, showing a level of progress
The implications of a lengthy election postponement and a rushed election seem equally troubling. Chances of armed conflict seem high in both cases, as the announcement of the postponement prompted militias to blockade Tripoli
This level of destabilization has the ability to affect the United States on a variety of levels. Libya has a wealth of oil resources
and also serves as a transit point for migrants in Europe, making it invaluable to Western powers. To protect US strategic interests in Libya (such as oil) and to prevent another civil war, the United States could continue to monitor the situation in Libya while providing political support and encouragement to leaders attempting to draft a new constitution and other democratic legislation. The United States can also work with the United Nations to provide on-the-ground support, infrastructure reforms, and productive dialogue between Libya’s polarized east and west.