On 7 January Frederic Wehrey and Emadeddin Badi published analysis with the Carnegie Middle East Center on the fall-out from postponed elections. They argue that without a new and clear road map, the momentary regional rapprochement that we are now witnessing will not guarantee long-term stability. They observe how delayed elections have promoted factions across Libya to support a return to a constitutional drafting process, noting the issues with this approach given that the constitutional track has been wholly co-opted by elites in the High State Council in the west and the House of Representatives in the east. The article concludes that the Biden administration should work to bolster civil society, ensuring the rule of law and accountability, and developing a more viable strategy for reining in the militias as well as to help Libyans develop ‘a firm, universally-agreed-upon legal basis for future elections’.
Flames on the Horizon?