By Mark McMurray
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
TRIPOLI, Libya – On Saturday, Libyans will vote in their first free national election since a multi-party election in 1952 under King Idris.
The election, the first to follow Muammar Gaddafi’s 42-year reign, which ended last year, has 3,700 candidates. From the candidates, Libya’s 2.7 million registered voters will select the two-hundred members of the new General National Assembly. Seats in the assembly will be divided according to a mixed system. Candidates on party lists will be elected by proportional representation, while independent candidates will be chosen by a simple majority vote.
After the election, the assembly will choose a cabinet to replace the National Transitional Council (NTC), the current interim government comprised of former rebels. The assembly will also pick a new prime minister and help draft a constitution. A referendum will be held after the new constitution has been drafted. If a parliamentary system of government is chosen, a full legislative election will take place six months later.
Political analysts have found it difficult to predict the party make-up of the assembly ahead of the vote. While a number of candidates are women as result of parity rules, their campaign posters have been destroyed in the capital, highlighting the uphill battle women face in Libyan politics. The dominant theme amongst parties and candidates has been an expression of Islamic values, with few promoting a strictly secular campaign.
The vote, an effort to create a more credible government with a mandate to rule, could be undermined if voter turnout is low due to fear of violence. Further, the potential for violence resulting from post-election disputes between rival forces has caused further apprehension among Libyan voters. These fears have arisen as a result of the present environment in post-Gaddafi Libya, where militias with regional loyalties have been operating within the country amid the chaos of the revolution. Clashes between these tribal forces have prevented election observers from visiting some isolated areas within the country, raising questions about how successful the vote will be in those districts.
Almost a year after the revolution, Libyans are enjoying rights they were previously denied under Gaddafi. The ongoing violence within the country lies in stark contrast to this newfound freedom. While there are days without violence, battles often erupt between rival militias over land rights. The hope is that the election will provide for a path towards a unified Libya.
U.N. envoy Ian Martin has a more positive outlook. “The basic elements of life are continuing in Libya,” he told Reuters in June. “When you put it in the context of Libya and in the context of other post-conflict countries, the glass is half full rather than half empty.”
For further information, please see:
Euronews – Security Fears Around Libyan Election – 5 July 2012
Reuters – Nervous Libyans Ready for First Taste of Democracy – 5 July 2012
Tripoli Post – Suspected Arson in Ajdabiyah Poll Office Fire – 5 July 2012
Washington Post- As Libya Holds Post-Gaddafi Election, Islamists’ Strength to be Tested – 3 July 2012
