Throughout the year, national and international hopes have been pinned to the date of the Libyan national elections on December 24. This week, the Tobruk-based lower chamber of the Libyan parliament, also called the House of Representatives, withdrew its support for the Tripoli-based unity government. So far, the parliament has passed a law only for the presidential election but not yet for the parliamentary election, which is scheduled for the same day. Since the presidential election law stipulates that state employees have to suspend their posts three months before the election date, he would have to step down now to join the race. “The two main potential candidates so far are both very contested figures; this doesn’t bode well for the future of the political transition,” Collombier told DW.
