Elections

The UN special envoy for Libya Jan Kubis submitted his resignation to the Security Council, which was accepted, just about a month before Libya scheduled presidential elections. Kubis did not give any reason for his sudden departure.

Key figures, from both Libya’s past and present including leaders of some of the current political parties, announced their bid for the Libyan presidency. Saif al-Islam and Khalifa Haftar are among the major candidates while current PM Dbeibah is yet to announce.

With the opposition preparing to take to the streets, Saturday's vote does not appear to have provided the closure that some had wanted and hoped for, and Georgia remains a politically polorised and divided society

Georgians are voting today in the second round of local elections to choose Mayors and local Councillors in a number of key cities where the first round of voting, held on 2 October was inconclusive. The total number of voters eligible to vote in the second round is 2,088,722 - around half of which in the capital, Tbilisi. Georgians appear to be tired of the non stop polorised politics that has dominated public life in recent years, but it is unlikely that the elections will bring a closure to the huge divide within Georgian society.

The political situation in Georgia had been building up to a crisis for some time, and the situation became more tense following the return to the country of former president Mikheil Saakashvili, who had earlier been sentenced to several terms of imprisonment for crimes committed during his term of office. Saakashvili was duly arrested and has since gone on hunger strike.

Uzbek president Shovkat Mirzyoyev, re-elected for a second term on Sunday said there is no going back for his country. However it is not clear yet if Uzbekistan is slowly but surely moving out of its autocratic past into a pluralistic political process, because there are contradictory signs.

Polls have closed in Iraq’s parliamentary elections on Sunday after a record low turnout since 2003. Elections were conducted in a regular manner with no issues. Results will be out soon yet discussions to form a government could take a while. 

Imed al-Sayeh, head of Libya’s High National Elections Commission (HNEC), said that the country is “80 or 90 per cent ready” for the presidential, parliamentary elections. In additions, Libya's joint military commission (5+5) announced that it has prepared and approved an action plan to gradually, balanced and simultaneously remove all mercenaries and foreign fighters from the country. 

Qatar has concluded its first-ever elections for the Shura Council – a consultative assembly that helps the Emir draft legislature, monitor the ministerial performance and approve the national budget. Qataris voted for 30 members out of the 45 seat council. The other 15 members will be chosen directly by the Emir.