Libyan Parliament to Meet Next Week to Address Fallout of Elections Delay

A security officer stands in front of the High National Election Commission building in Benghazi, Libya December 16, 2021. (Reuters)
A security officer stands in front of the High National Election Commission building in Benghazi, Libya December 16, 2021. (Reuters)
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Libyan Parliament to Meet Next Week to Address Fallout of Elections Delay

A security officer stands in front of the High National Election Commission building in Benghazi, Libya December 16, 2021. (Reuters)
A security officer stands in front of the High National Election Commission building in Benghazi, Libya December 16, 2021. (Reuters)

The Libyan parliament is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss the fallout from the postponement of the presidential elections that were set for December 24.

A parliamentary source said the parliament will convene in the eastern city of Tobruk to address the parliamentary committee's report on the legal problems that impeded the elections.

The committee has been tasked with communicating with the High National Election Commission and the Supreme Judicial Court of Libya over the elections delay.

The parliament will address the commission's request to hold the elections on January 24, the source added.

The parliament may also tackle the fate of the interim Government of National Unity (GNU) that was formed to ensure that the elections are held.

One probable scenario could see the formation of a new government, introducing a cabinet reshuffle or allow the GNU to operate in a caretaker capacity, said the source.

The commission had requested that the elections be delayed by a month.

The parliament had issued a decision to form a committee of ten MPs to prepare a roadmap for the post-December 24 phase.



Internet Restored in Gaza after 3 Days

Palestinians raise their phones as they try to catch an internet signal in Gaza City. Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP
Palestinians raise their phones as they try to catch an internet signal in Gaza City. Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP
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Internet Restored in Gaza after 3 Days

Palestinians raise their phones as they try to catch an internet signal in Gaza City. Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP
Palestinians raise their phones as they try to catch an internet signal in Gaza City. Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP

Internet is back up in the war-battered Gaza Strip, the head of the Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority told AFP on Saturday, after a three-day blackout blamed on Israel's military.

"The network is up now in all of the Gaza Strip," said the regulatory body's CEO Laith Daraghmeh.

The Palestinian Authority's telecommunications ministry reported on Thursday that internet and fixed-line communications were down after Israeli forces targeted a fiber optic cable, a claim Israel has not commented on.

The ministry said that its maintenance and repair teams had at first been unable to safely access the sites where the damage occurred.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said on Thursday that the internet outage hindered its operations by impeding communication with first responders in the field, also blaming Israel for the blackout.

Now in its 21st month, the war in Gaza has caused massive damage to infrastructure including water mains, power lines and roads across the Palestinian territory.