Libya has been urged by western powers to quickly reschedule the delayed presidential elections that were scheduled to take place on Friday.
Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the US said they would continue to recognise Libya's interim government after its presidential election was delayed, but called for the new polling date to be set as soon as possible.
“We call on the relevant Libyan authorities to respect the aspirations of the Libyan people for prompt elections by swiftly determining a final date for the polling and issuing the final list of presidential candidates without delay,” the five nations said in a joint statement.
The vote was intended to mark a fresh start for the country.
Political wrangling over the legal framework governing the vote, a surge in militia fighting, polarising candidates and years-long divisions between Libyans have complicated the process.
The fate of the interim Government of National Unity, which was installed in March as part of a UN-backed peace process, has become a major source of disagreement in the fallout over the collapse of the election.
Authorities overseeing the election said earlier this week that the Friday vote would be “impossible”, ending weeks of speculation over a delay.
The chairman of the parliamentary committee overseeing the vote wrote to the assembly's speaker, saying that “after consulting the technical, judicial and security reports, we inform you of the impossibility of holding the elections on the date of December 24, 2021".
It did not propose an alternative date, which was set last year during UN-led peace talks in Tunis. UN special envoy Jan Kubis, however, resigned just weeks before the ballot with the election intended to go hand-in-hand with parliamentary polls.
Libya's parliament is to meet on Monday to debate a new timeline for elections.
The country has seen a year of relative calm since the October 2020 ceasefire though rival militias were seen roaming the streets of the capital on Wednesday.
About 2.5 million people – a third of the population – were due to choose Libya’s first elected president on December 24.
Since Nato’s intervention to remove Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, Libya has been the theatre of international and regional feuds, hosting foreign personnel aligned with the clashing governments in the east and west.
With a spectre of renewed conflict already looming, militias have started to flex their muscles, breaching a UN-brokered ceasefire that began in October last year.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
Company%20Profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Kandahar%20
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The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
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