Elections in Libya

On 7 July 2012, the National Transitional Council, in power since the Libyan Civil War, supervised democratic elections for a 200-member General National Congress to replace the Council.<ref name="Yahoo1"/> The assembly was to choose a prime minister and organize parliamentary elections in 2013.<ref name=Yahoo1>Template:Cite news</ref> A process to write a constitution was also to be determined.<ref name="Yahoo1"/> Unrest driven by armed militias, ethnic minority and radical groups undermined the process and the government for the years following the overthrowing of Muammar Gaddafi. While internal apathy towards democratic reforms slowed the process, external bodies such as the European Union were still pressing for the establishment of a national dialogue to build consensus for the drafting of a new constitution to take place before the end of 2014.<ref name="LibyaTransition">Template:Cite news</ref> Parliamentary elections were scheduled to be held on 25 June 2014 in a move aimed at stabilizing the country and quelling the unrest.<ref name="LibyaElections">Template:Cite news</ref>

History

Kingdom of Libya

• 1952 Libyan general election
• 1956 Libyan general election
• 1960 Libyan general election
• 1964 Libyan general election
• 1965 Libyan general election

Libya under Gaddafi

National elections were indirect through a hierarchy of people's committees. The head of government was elected by the General People's Congress. The last such election was held in March 2009, for a three-years term.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Libya's parliament consisted of a unicameral General People's Congress. Its members were elected indirectly through a hierarchy of people's committees.

Suffrage was 18 years of age; universal and technically compulsory.

Electoral bodies

According to Article 157 of the 2017 draft Libyan constitution, the Libyan High National Election Commission (HNEC) is responsible for organising elections of national political bodies in Libya.<ref name="UNDP_CCMCE_plan" />

The Central Commission of Municipal Council Elections (CCMCE) was created in 2018 for organising municipal elections in 2018 to replace councils elected in 2014.<ref name="UNDP_CCMCE_plan" /> It started holding these elections in 2019 in March and April.<ref name="MEM_elections_March2019" /><ref name="LibObs_local_el_April2019" /><ref name="Sabha_election_190427" /><ref name="LibObs_27Apr_5othertowns" />

2012 elections

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} {{#section-h:2012 Libyan parliamentary election|Results}}

2014 elections

Constituent Assembly

HNEC organised the 2014 Libyan Constitutional Assembly election of 60 representatives in February 2014.<ref name="lh21oct" /><ref name="lh21feb" /><ref name="lh_HNEC_47seats" />

House of Representatives

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The Libyan election commission on 20 May 2014 announced elections would be held on 25 June 2014.<ref name="LibyaElections"/>

Future elections

Presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya were scheduled for December 24, 2021; however these were indefinitely postponed by the High National Elections Commission, due to failure to agree on the electoral rules.<ref name="Emig-2023">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

As of 2023, Libya had two competing governments, the Government of National Unity (GNU) sited in Tripoli and the Government of National Stability (GNS) in Sirte, formed in March 2022, and supported by the House of Representatives (HoR).<ref name="Emig-2023" /> The High Council of State (HCS) is now essentially the legislative body for the GNU. In March 2023 both legislative bodies passed an amendment to the Libyan Constitution providing a broad framework for elections; however, numerous disagreements still exist about implementation.<ref name="Emig-2023" /><ref name="LH-2023-March">Template:Cite news</ref>

In November 2023, despite objections from members of the High Council of State and the reservations expressed by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the House of Representatives ordered the official publication of election rules in the Official Gazette.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The regulations were developed by the 6 + 6 Joint Committee of the HoR and the HCS.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• Democracy in the Middle East and North Africa

References

• CIA - The World Factbook: Libya