Libya failed to hold its first-ever presidential elections on Dec. 24 as scheduled, a major blow to international efforts to end a decade-long chaos in the oil-rich Mediterranean nation. Williams, who led U.N. efforts to end the latest bout of violence in Libya in 2020, said elections are needed in the country to give credence to its institutions. Mediated by the U.N., an October 2020 cease-fire led to the formation of a transitional government and scheduled elections for Dec. 24. The country’s election commission did not name a final list of candidates for the presidential and parliamentary elections. She did not see the departure of foreign mercenaries as a “prerequisite for the elections,” saying that maintaining the cease-fire is the priority.

Source: Libya Today January 17, 2022 17:47 UTC