Libyan elections endangered by uneven security

Libyans are about to elect a new national congress, but the transition to democracy is still looking alarmingly shaky.

In three days, Libyans will have their chance to vote in the first democratic elections since the uprising that ended the four-decade rule of Muammar Qaddafi.

It has been a long road for Libyans and will be longer yet: the elections are for a national congress that will choose a government, in preparation for real parliamentary elections next year.

The election - despite some doubts - will go ahead this Saturday, but the country remains torn in different directions. There is much political and social housekeeping still to be done.

One of the most high-profile elements has finally been resolved. On Monday, a legal team from the International Criminal Court was finally released after nearly a month in detention in the western town of Zintan, south of the capital Tripoli. Four members of the team had been in custody, accused of spying and attempting to pass on messages to Saif Al Islam, Qaddafi's son who is in a prison in Zintan.

What happens to Saif Al Islam himself is still unclear. Authorities in Zintan are holding him as a bargaining chip, while the government in Tripoli is adamant he must be tried inside the country and not in The Hague under the auspices of the ICC.

Other issues will be even tougher to resolve. The security situation in Libya is still unstable. Clashes in the southern town of Kufra over the past month have led to an influx of government forces. Reports have suggested the clashes may be related to inter-ethnic violence, or competition over lucrative smuggling routes. Local leaders have threatened to boycott the elections.

Elsewhere, there has also been violence, with protesters in Libya's second city, Benghazi, the heart of the uprising against Qaddafi, this week storming the headquarters of the election commission to demand more representation in the new parliament. The national government, long too strong and too centralised under Qaddafi, is now clearly too weak.

Yet its attempt to reassert its authority may be undermining the rule of law. Reports have emerged that the caretaker government may be using Qaddafi-era surveillance equipment against political opponents. Fears of a resurgence of armed Qaddafi-loyalists still drives security policy.

The election takes Libya in a hopeful direction, continuing its path to democracy. There is still a great deal of negotiating to be done to keep Libya whole and make it secure. These elections are, as best, just a beginning to include all Libyans in this new country.