Libya Delays Presidential Election Amid Concerns of Renewed Conflict

ISTANBUL—Libya delayed its presidential election scheduled for later this week by at least a month, the country’s electoral commission said Wednesday, in an effort to defuse tensions between rival political factions and avoid a return to conflict.

The election on Dec. 24 was intended to mark the conclusion of a United Nations-brokered peace process that ended 14 months of civil war in the country last year. The fighting drew in rival regional powers—including Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt—who armed opposing sides in the conflict.