Libya's future is being voted on in Geneva

The election of the members of the Presidency Council continues, after no candidate received more than 70% of the votes. The members are to be elected by the 75 members of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), which is in charge of developing the transitional political structures that will lead to the elections scheduled for the end of the year. 

The structure decided by the LPDF last autumn consists of a Prime Minister and a Presidency Council made up of three members, one for each of the Libyan regions in conflict, the eastern part with Tobruk, the west with Tripoli and the southern area, controlled by different tribal militias such as the Tuaregs. These people have made a legal commitment not to be part of the candidacies for the elections at the end of the year, so, in theory, they will not try to take advantage during this transition to gain presence and power.

Stephanie Williams, the UN representative for Libya, is in charge of leading the meetings that are taking place in Geneva, Switzerland. The goal is to form a temporary government of patriots who agree to take on and share responsibility for the future of the Libyan people," Williams said.

The three names with the most support were Abdul Majeed Ghaith Seif Al-Nasr, a tribal leader from the south of the country, Aguila Salé and the speaker of the Tobruk parliament, both with around 40% of the vote, and Khaled Mishri, leader of the High Council of State, one of the country's western institutions, who won just over 22% of the vote.

None, therefore, has managed to come close to the required 70 per cent that guarantees support not only from the side to which he belongs. In total, 24 candidates presented their candidacies in 30-minute slots and were subjected to rounds of questions by LPDF members.

The prime minister must also be chosen, although members of the forum have until Friday to vote from a total of 21 candidates, who, like those running for the Presidency Council, presented their vision for the country and answered rounds of questions.

Among the candidates' plans, enthusiasm for unification cuts across all the messages. Issues such as dealing with COVID-19, oil production and the paramount importance of conducting an electoral process with conditions. There are still a few days to go before these sessions conclude, so while optimism is high, caution is called for, as there are many factors and interests at stake.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based non-governmental organisation, recruitment of Syrian fighters is reportedly continuing, with the aim of reinforcing the front lines in Libya. This is reportedly taking place in Syrian locations such as Idlib, Aleppo and Afrin.

With the economic attraction - the fighters are reportedly earning around $400 - many Syrians see Libya as an opportunity to improve the economic situation of their families in Syria thanks to the war. Countries such as Turkey have seen this as a business opportunity to tip the balance in their favour in certain conflicts by avoiding direct involvement as much as possible. And the Syrians, after a decade of conflict, are the ideal candidates for Ankara because of the experience they have acquired and the extreme situation in the country, which pushes young people to fight as a method of economic subsistence.

According to the agreements of the 5+5 Military Committee, in addition to the ceasefire in force, the mercenaries on Libyan territory should have left the country by now, after the 90-day period since it was signed has expired. However, given that this has not happened, a new meeting is due to take place this week in the city of Sirte, to seek ways to ensure the departure of the large number of external combatants who are present in the Libyan conflict.

The decision that they have not left, in many cases, responds to the interest of countries such as Turkey to keep them at all costs and for as long as possible while the pieces of the political chessboard in the country move. The reality is that the Libyan conflict has been fought over, in many cases, by foreign troops, brought there with the aim of tipping the balance to one side or the other.