Libya parliament approves election laws amid ongoing political disputes

Libya's parliament has approved laws for national presidential and parliamentary elections, the chamber's spokesman said, but continued disputes over the process may make it difficult to hold an election.

A majority of members in the House of Representatives (HoR) backed the laws in a vote on Monday, spokesman Abdullah Belaihaq said.

He did not release the voting tally or number of members present.

Another internationally recognised Libyan legislative body, the High State Council (HSC), has not issued a clear statement on whether it has also approved the laws and there are disputes in Libya's political system over whether it would need to do so.

Libya has had little peace or stability since a 2011 Nato-backed uprising that toppled the dictator Muammar Qaddafi. In 2014, control of the country was divided between eastern and western factions, with rival administrations governing in each area.

The HoR is based in the east and the HSC is in Tripoli, in the west, where the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) is also based.

Libya's political divisions played into the recent disaster in Derna when dams broke under heavy rain, washing away much of the town in a flash flood that killed thousands of people.

International diplomacy to resolve Libya's conflict has focused on pushing for parliamentary and presidential elections to replace the interim political institutions, including the HoR, HSC and GNU.

Members of the Libya's House of Representatives attend a session in the eastern city of Tobruk. AFP

An attempt to hold an election in 2021 collapsed because of disputes over the rules after the HSC and other parts of Libya's political system rejected electoral laws issued by the HoR.

The laws presented by Mr Saleh on Wednesday were written by a joint committee of HoR and HSC members who met in Morocco earlier this year, but the UN envoy said in July that the laws "in their current state would not enable successful elections".

The HoR has said it wants to replace the GNU with an interim government before any election, something that could prompt a new bout of violence.

Mr Saleh has previously presented laws whose validity some HoR members later disputed, accusing him of abusing parliamentary processes. He has denied that.

Chaos erupted in parliament in July before a debate on a draft election law when several members interrupted Mr Saleh at the start of its session. A broadcast on Libya Almustaqbal TV was cut short after several MPs began heckling Mr Saleh as he read a statement from MPs who boycotted the session.

Elections were expected to take place in December 2021 but disagreements over who should stand in the polls and other issues meant they were never held. The UN has been working to ease the situation, in the hope elections could take place this year.

Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters

The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.

Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.

A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.

The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.

The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.

Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.

Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment

But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.

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LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW

Stoke City v Tottenham

Brentford v Newcastle United

Arsenal v Manchester City

Everton v Manchester United

All ties are to be played the week commencing December 21.

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If you go

The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

'Spies in Disguise'

Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane

Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Find the right policy for you

Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.

Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.

Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.

Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.

If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.

Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.

Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”