Chairman of Libya's Presidential Council Mohamed al-Menfi said that serious steps were being taken towards finding a settlement regarding the elections scheduled for December 24.
His statements followed the mounting rejection of the candidacy of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar by armed groups based in western Libya.
Gaddafi, the son of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi who was toppled in 2011, announced his candidacy on Sunday. Eastern commander Khalifa Haftar is also running in the elections, as is the parliament speaker, Aguila Saleh.
In an interview with Reuters, Menfi expressed his aspirations for the elections to be held on time with the consensus of all Libyans, as he put it, indicating that they are trying to achieve this process in a democratic manner, acceptable to the Libyans to hand over power to an elected party.
Menfi stressed the necessity for there to be no disputes over the candidates, to whom the terms of the electoral laws apply once their candidacy is approved.
On Monday, an armed group affiliated with the Government of National Unity’s Defense Ministry attacked the Electoral Commission headquarters in the cities of Zliten and Al-Khums. The gunmen dismissed employees on-site.
The attack followed Khaled al-Meshri, the head of the Tripoli-based Supreme Council of State, calling on all Libyans to demonstrate before the Commission to voice their rejection of the upcoming elections.
Eyewitnesses in Zliten confirmed the closure of the Commission’s headquarters in the city after some citizens gathered in front of it.
Moreover, Libyans demonstrated in front of the Commission’s offices in Misrata, where city council members are threatening to escalate the situation against the Commission.
Work at the electoral management office (Jabal-1) in the city of Garyan was also temporarily suspended on Monday after some Libyan youths opposed to Gaddafi’s candidacy for the presidency held a protest in front of the office building.
