Protesters began, on Tuesday evening, a sit-in in front of the High Electoral Commission building in Libya in the capital, Tripoli, to express their rejection of the ongoing electoral process and to demand that it be postponed until a referendum on the constitution is held.
Video clips showed the moment parties affiliated with the February 17 revolution arrived from Tripoli, Al-Zawiya and Misurata to the commission headquarters and set up tents in front of it, to carry out a sit-in, raising slogans “No to elections without a constitution.”
This comes, hours before the commission announced the final list of candidates who will run in the presidential elections scheduled for December 24.
Two days ago, the “Revolutionaries and Brigades of the city of Misurata” announced their total rejection of the presidential elections before the referendum on the constitution, and their refusal to accept the candidacy of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Khalifa Haftar for the elections, or the possibility of them assuming leadership positions in the coming period.
The coup of armed militias against the elections and their rejection of some candidates is one of the most important challenges that may hinder the holding of the Libyan elections on time, and it also reveals the impasse facing the future of stability in the country.
The scenes of protests and sit-ins in front of the headquarters of the High Electoral Commission shed light on the difficulty of completing the electoral process in Libya and conducting the elections on time, in these circumstances, where the continuing differences between the competing camps and security tensions on the ground threaten to postpone or cancel it.
On the other hand, the High National Elections Commission in Libya confirms its readiness to organize presidential elections, and is preparing to announce the final list of candidates who will compete for the presidency and start electoral campaigns.
In light of this tense situation, Libyan political circles and even international forces have begun to push for the option of delaying, until a consensus formula is reached between the actors in Libya, which ensures that everyone recognizes the results of the electoral process if it is conducted, and deals with any party that wins the elections.
