Libya's speaker of parliament Aguila Saleh is a candidate in the presidential election. AP
Libya's speaker of parliament Aguila Saleh is a candidate in the presidential election. AP
Libya's speaker of parliament Aguila Saleh is a candidate in the presidential election. AP
Libya's speaker of parliament Aguila Saleh is a candidate in the presidential election. AP

Libya must set 'definitive' election date, says speaker of parliament


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  • Arabic

Libya's parliamentary speaker Aguila Saleh said the committee responsible for overseeing elections must set a "definitive" date for postponed presidential and legislative polls by the end of the month.

A presidential election was due to take place on December 24, followed by legislative polls, but the UN-sponsored electoral process was delayed in the troubled North African nation amid political tension.

Those tensions pit Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, and an eastern-based parliament against authorities centred around an interim government in the capital, Tripoli, in the west, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

Libya has been ravaged by violence and insecurity ever since a Nato-backed uprising in the oil-rich nation toppled and killed dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.

Speaking at a parliamentary session in the eastern port city of Tobruk on Tuesday, Mr Saleh said a parliamentary committee overseeing elections must present its "final report" by the end of January.

The report must detail both "the steps necessary to remove the obstacles which hampered the electoral process" in December and "determine a definitive date" for holding the ballot, he said.

Months of disputes finally resulted in the vote being postponed a few days before it was to take place as the committee overseeing the election declared it impossible to hold as scheduled.

It was derailed by bitter arguments, including rows over divisive candidates and a disputed legal framework.

The commission must also present to parliament "a complete vision of the executive power and the formation of a new government", said Mr Saleh, who is himself a candidate in the presidential election.

A group of Libyan activists protest against the postponement of the presidential elections in Tripoli. AFP
A group of Libyan activists protest against the postponement of the presidential elections in Tripoli. AFP

His demand for a fixed poll date comes a day after he called for a new interim government to be established in Tripoli, noting that the current executive has outlived its mandate.

Libya's parliament passed a vote of no confidence in the interim government in September.

Mr Saleh has called on the attorney general to "investigate" the government's expenses along with "abuses of power", including nominations to posts.

The call came as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged Libya's political factions and parties to hold safe, "inclusive and credible" presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Not Dark Yet

Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer

Four stars

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Barings Bank

 Barings, one of Britain’s oldest investment banks, was
founded in 1762 and operated for 233 years before it went bust after a trading
scandal. 

Barings Bank collapsed in February 1995 following colossal
losses caused by rogue trader Nick Lesson. 

Leeson gambled more than $1 billion in speculative trades,
wiping out the venerable merchant bank’s cash reserves.  

Evacuations to France hit by controversy
  • Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
  • Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
  • The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
  • Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
  • It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
  • Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
  • Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: ten-speed

Power: 420bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: Dh325,125

On sale: Now

UAE players with central contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile Idealz

Company: Idealz

Founded: January 2018

Based: Dubai

Sector: E-commerce

Size: (employees): 22

Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)

THE BIO

Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren

Favourite travel destination: Switzerland

Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers

Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum

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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

PROFILE OF INVYGO

Started: 2018

Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo

Based: Dubai

Sector: Transport

Size: 9 employees

Investment: $1,275,000

Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri

Points classification after Stage 4

1. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 124

2. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 81

3. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 66

4. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 63

5. Alexander Kristoff (Norway / Katusha) 43

Updated: January 19, 2022, 9:43 AM`