Preparations are almost done for the upcoming Libyan elections on December 24, the head of the High National Election Commission (HNEC) says, despite “logistical problems” regarding the legislative framework.
“We are 80 or 90 percent ready” for the presidential and parliamentary votes in December and January, Imad al-Sayeh told the AFP news agency.
“I think there will be very strong turnout for these elections, especially as there will be direct presidential polls for the first time since Libya’s independence [in 1951],” he said at his office in Tripoli.
When asked about the possibility of presidential bid by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar or Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Sayeh said, “Everyone has the right to take part in this process, and every Libyan with an identity number can stand for election in the presidential vote.”
He admitted that logistical problems remain but insisted that they could be overcome.
“The most important thing is that all political actors agree on how the elections are run and that their results are accepted,” he said.