The Head of the High Council of State (HCS), Khaled Al-Mishri, pledged to hold elections no later than next November in a televised speech Friday to mark the anniversary of the 17 February Revolution that ended 42 years of individual rule in Libya.
"Libya is currently undergoing a transitional phase involving a constitutional declaration amendment that will lead to presidential and parliamentary elections," Al-Mishri said.
He added that accomplishing the revolution's objectives "requires us to accept constructive self-criticism" as the democratic and constitutional gains remain a strategic goal.
The HCS head vowed to achieve constitutional entitlement despite the obstacles "beyond control."
He said the first two years after the revolution were the best, as the nation was proceeding with a clear plan towards building a state.
But afterward, the anti-Arab Spring forces from local, regional, and international powers worked tirelessly to quash the revolutions and divide the state, Al-Mishri says.
He called on everyone who worked with the former regime and wanted to be part of the new era to come under the flag and anthem of February.
Al-Mishri also confirmed his rejection of division in Libya and the dominance of the state institutions' heads, saying that whoever heads an institution deals as if he is the guardian of it.
He said that the setback in the revolution was due to conspiracies and deviation that were practiced by some, including the sons of the revolution themselves.
