Ghosts from the Past: Libya’s Election Quandary and the Re-emergence of Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi

This policy outlook aims to analyse the reasons behind the postponement of Libya’s elections.

After more than a decade of conflict, instability, and economic hardship, Libya was expected to hold its first presidential election in December 2021. However, political disputes over candidate eligibility and legal challenges prevented Libya’s High National Elections Commission (HNEC) from finalising the candidate list, and as a result, the elections were postponed. Post-conflict elections, even if fair, run a high risk of being denied legitimacy by the losers unless some sort of real reconciliation has taken place. In Libya, there is still no secure and stable political settlement, therefore, holding elections under these circumstances would not have solved the main issues. This policy outlook aims to analyse the reasons behind the postponement of these elections and examines the international community’s new approach towards preparing a well-designed electoral infrastructure to solve the existing issues and eventually hold credible elections this year, as expected.