TRIPOLI — Libya’s parliament has reached consensus on holding early elections, yielding to popular pressure after it had extended its mandate that ended on February 7, deputies said Sunday.
The agreement comes as the North African country on Monday prepares to mark three years since the start of the revolution that overthrew long-time dictator Muammar Qadhafi.
“The political blocs are unanimous on the holding of early elections” for new transitional authorities, MP Abdullah Al Gmati told AFP.
He belongs to a 15-strong bloc of independent lawmakers in the General National Congress (GNC), Libya’s highest political authority.
Discussions are still under way on institutions that might replace the GNC: A new congress, or a parliament and a president.
The second strongest bloc in the GNC, the Party of Justice and Construction (PJC) which is the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya, had on Thursday called for early elections.
The GNC’s 200 members were elected in July 2012 for a term of 18 months and tasked with leading the country’s transition after the 2011 uprising.
But earlier this month, it decided to extend its mandate until December despite opposition from Libyans critical of its inability to halt the country’s slide into chaos.
Thousands of Libyans took to the streets for the second consecutive week on Friday to protest against the decision.
The demonstration came ahead of Monday’s third anniversary of the start of the February 17 Revolution, when angry residents of the eastern city of Benghazi took to the streets to protest against Qadhafi’s four-decade rule.
The GNC last week adopted a new roadmap that would see a general election held by the end of the year if a constitutional body due to be chosen on February 20 adopts a new charter within four months of its election.
The commission would decide on key issues in a new constitution, including the system of government, the status of minorities and the role of Islamic Sharia law.
But if, within 60 days, it decides it cannot complete the job, it would call for immediate presidential and legislative polls for a fresh period of 18 months.
After first accepting this roadmap, the PJC has now called for going “straight to elections”.
Their rivals, the liberal Alliance of National Forces (NFA), opposed extending the GNC mandate from the outset.
MP Suad Soltan of the NFA said on Sunday her bloc has been demanding the assembly’s dissolution for months.
Confirming that agreement in principle had been reached on holding early elections, Soltan said a vote on the move could be held later on Sunday.
