...the Oyster Bay money pit...
-led grinding of the peace processor after a decade of conflict.
But it has been beset by deep divisions over its legal basis, who may stand and court challenges against prominent candidates.
On Monday, 17 hopefuls issued a joint statement in which they implicitly acknowledged that a delay was inevitable.
The group urged the electoral commission to "reveal the reasons why there will be no election on the date set", and called on it to "publish a final list of candidates".
Multiple observers have predicted a delay, but just days ahead of the vote, there has been no official announcement.
Libya, torn apart by a decade of conflict since its 2011 revolution, has seen a year of relative calm since a landmark October 2020 ceasefire, and the UN has been pushing for elections as part of a multi-pronged peace effort.
But presidential bids by several divisive
...politicians call things
divisivewhen when the other side sez something they don't like. Their own statements are never
divisive,they're
principled...
figures, a controversial electoral law and lack of agreement over the powers of the next government have posed a series of obstacles.
The candidacies of eastern military chief Khalifa Haftar
...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all. Actually, he is, but slowly...and Seif al-Islam Qadaffy, son of slain dictator Muammar Qadaffy
...a reminder that a single man with an idea can change an entire nation, usually for the worse...
-- both accused of war crimes -- have sparked particular opposition from rival camps.
Meanwhile,
...back at the dirigible, Jack stuck the cigar in his mouth, stepped onto the gantry, and asked
Got a light, Mac?
Von Schtinken stopped short, lowering the dagger and trying to control his features.
If you light that thing, Herr Armschtröng,he pointed out, his voice tense,
we all die!...
in a country controlled by dozens of gangs including thousands of imported muscle, analysts warn that the ceasefire is increasingly fragile.