Libya’s Election Faces Uncertainty Amid Challenges

Libya’s presidential election, is drawing close and is supposed to help unify the country after a decade of civil war, but there are increasing calls for a delay.

The vote, scheduled for Dec. 24, is to choose Libya’s first president since the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi more than a decade ago.

For close to a year, the election has been the cornerstone of international efforts to bring peace to the North African nation, and supporters are concerned there could be a dangerous void if it is not held on schedule.

However, critics warn that going ahead with the vote now could throw the country into new violence. They say Libya remains too bitterly divided among armed factions that are likely to reject any victory by rivals in the election.

The presence of some of Libya’s most polarizing figures in the race including one of Gadhafi’s sons only makes it more explosive.

Nearly 100 people have announced their candidacies, but the election commission has still not announced a final list of candidates because of legal disputes.

It should have announced the list earlier this month. The rules governing the election are also in dispute, with western Libya politicians accusing the east-based parliament of adopting them without consultations.

Libya plunged into chaos after Gadhafi’s death during a 2011 uprising backed by a U.S.-led NATO military campaign. Control splintered among a myriad of armed militias.

For years, the country was split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each backed by militias and foreign governments.