By Hussein Al-Musallati
An accelerating popular movement demanding urgent presidential elections erupted into widespread protests across several Libyan cities on Friday, called for by the “Homeland Movement”, underscoring the necessity of breaking the years-long institutional stalemate.ِ
Amidst this mobilisation, official statements coincided with the popular mood but lacked the required seriousness. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chancellor Aguila Saleh, quickly issued a statement affirming that the public’s street action represents their true will, noting that approximately three million voters are ready to head to the ballot boxes. Saleh called upon the High National Election Commission (HNEC) to immediately enforce the electoral law passed by the Parliament and finalise the presidential elections as soon as possible.
The HNEC, in its separate statement, declared its technical and logistical readiness to hold both presidential and parliamentary elections, proposing mid-April 2026 as a potential date. However, this announcement came with complex preconditions, among them securing the necessary funding and reaching an agreement on mechanisms to support and supervise the electoral process, given the division between governmental institutions.
Parallel to the institutional responses and public pressure, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, intensified his meetings with elders and dignitaries from various Libyan regions. Field Marshal Haftar urged these social components to assert their right to self-determination and called on them to launch local initiatives aimed at ending what he described as “political absurdity,” as a prelude to establishing a unified, sovereign state. Haftar affirmed that the Armed Forces would confront any entity attempting to obstruct the will of the Libyan people. He further stressed that national resolve is the foundation for building a strong state capable of boosting economic development, restoring essential services, alleviating citizens’ suffering, and restoring Libya’s regional standing.
Analysts and observers suggest that the declared official positions haven’t evolved into tangible measures. They point to the House of Representatives’ failure to call an emergency session that includes the HNEC chairman, and the difficulty of achieving the long-term compromises demanded by the Commission. Some observers even suggest that the official statements are merely attempts to absorb the people’s anger without fundamentally addressing the crisis. Consequently, “Homeland Movement” activists have asserted their commitment to continued people mobilisation until a formal, binding date for the presidential elections is set.
Commentators fear that the continuation of political uncertainty and the erosion of public trust in current institutions—especially with expectations that the protests will widen and the tribal components recently met by Field Marshal Haftar will join the pressure—could push the country toward a more volatile and sensitive phase in the absence of binding decisions. Libya’s political fate remains suspended between promises that are difficult to implement and unrelenting citizens’ pressure.
