Libya: head of high council calls for election boycott

The head of Libya’s High Council of State, Khalid Al-Mishri, yesterday called for a boycott of the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for 24 December.

Al-Mishri urged demonstrators to gather in front of the offices of the High National Electoral Committee (HNEC), the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the Libyan Parliament to protest about what he described as a “flawed” election law.

His comments were made during his meeting with several members of parliament, the state council, municipal chiefs, heads of syndicates and other prominent officials in Tripoli. Al-Mishri stressed that holding the presidential election “without a constitutional foundation paves the way for dictatorship, regardless of the result.”

In a clear reference to renegade Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, he added that “Allowing criminals to run for office and engage in political work is equal to allowing Nazis and fascists to engage in political work.”

The Libyan official reiterated that he was “categorically” rejecting anyone resorting to violence. However, he warned that the election law was “tailored” for Haftar to take over the presidency. “The countries supporting Haftar were behind the laws related to the elections, which were tailored especially for him.”

READ: Nine potential candidates in Libya’s presidential elections