People hold a giant Libyan flag during a march to Martyrs Square in Tripoli, February 25, 2012.
Anis Mili / Reuters
Normally, a call for elections is a sign of a vibrant democracy. In Libya, however, the current rush to hold a vote within a few months from now—a proposal that has been advanced by everyone from United Arab Emirates-backed warlords to the United Nations—will condemn the Libyan people to a future of apartheid and instability. The danger is enshrined in the way Libya holds elections: the current law absurdly gives minority voters more power over the majority, effectively disenfranchising large swaths of the Libyan population and permitting extremist elements and those loyal to the unpopular former regime of
Source URL: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/libya/2017-08-15/case-against-elections-libya