North Africa

It wasn’t a surprise to many that Libya’s long-awaited elections were postponed. As the elections approached, fundamental rules over presidential powers, who was allowed to be a candidate, and election enforcement mechanisms remained unclear.

An examination of the most controversial presidential candidates out of a crowded field of ninety-eight reveals some of the complications embedded in the electoral process, and how the polls in Libya could unravel rather than realize its democratic promise.

On December 17, the Atlantic Council’s North Africa Initiative held a panel discussion on “Libya: The long road to elections” on the democratic process in Libya, analyzing shortcomings and failures that threaten to derail the set election timeline.

On October 27, the Atlantic Council’s North Africa Initiative hosted an event with the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), discussing the implications of current political, socio-economic conditions and future challenges North Africa faces.

The reality is that Libya needs a hard reset. Luckily, the answer to the current crisis can be found in the design and original sequencing of the Berlin Process.

The US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue is one of the longest-standing in the region. Though primarily symbolic, the dialogue serves as an opportunity for senior-level engagement across a broad swath of bilateral priorities.