Libya fell apart after the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and split in 2014 between warring eastern and western factions. Parliament speaker Aguila Saleh, who is a presidential candidate, issued a law setting a first round of the presidential election for December 24th with a second round run-off and the parliamentary election to come afterwards. Putting the presidential vote first meant the election came down to a winner-takes-all contest between candidates from violently opposing factions. However, Saleh's law formed the basis of the electoral process and disputes over it grew wider as very divisive candidates entered the contest. A disputed result could rapidly unravel the peace process, replicating the aftermath of the 2014 election when warring factions backed rival administrations.

Source: Libya Today December 23, 2021 13:52 UTC