Ali expects Libya’s Brotherhood to rig future votes

CAIRO – Member of the Egyptian parliament and the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies in Paris (CEMO) Abdel Rahim Ali expected today Libya’s Muslim Brotherhood, which is backed by both Turkey and Qatar, to try to sabotage efforts aiming at finding a political settlement to the conflict in Libya.

“They will also try to carve a niche for themselves inside the new Libyan institutions,” he added at a conference on Turkish interference in the Middle East region and the threats this interference poses to regional and world peace.

Ali noted that the areas controlled by the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, namely Tripoli, Zawiya, and Misurata, have at least a million Libyans living in them.

“Between 2.5 and 3 million Libyan citizens live in the areas controlled by the Libyan National Army,” he said.

“Most of those living in the aforementioned cities did not vote for the Muslim Brotherhood in the last elections,” he added.

Ali noted that this is why there are expectations that the Muslim Brotherhood will try to rig or control the vote in any coming elections.

“Turkey and Qatar agree that any political settlement in Libya will not give them what they want in the country,” Ali said.

“This is why they will do their best to sabotage efforts aiming at bringing about a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Libya,” he added.