Libya's UN envoy resigns 1 month before nationwide polls

Reason for Jan Kubis' departure unclear as Libya prepares for parliamentary, presidential elections on Dec. 24

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – In the runup to landmark elections in Libya, the UN special envoy for Libya has resigned from his post, diplomatic sources told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

Jan Kubis' decision to step down from his post, for reasons that are not immediately clear, comes just one month before Libya is slated to hold nationwide presidential and parliamentary elections, set for Dec. 24.

Nearly 100 candidates have registered to run in Libya’s presidential elections, including transitional Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, putschist warlord Khalifa Haftar, and Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former strongman leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The presidential and parliamentary elections are set to take place under a UN-sponsored agreement reached by Libyan political rivals last November.

The application deadline for those wishing to run for president was Nov. 22. Nominations for parliamentary polls remain open through Dec. 7.

Libyans hope that the upcoming elections will contribute to ending an armed conflict that has plagued the oil-rich country for years.

*Betul Yuruk contributed to this report from the United Nations

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