The speaker of Libya's internationally recognised eastern-based parliament, Aqila Saleh, has called on the national electoral commission to organise a referendum on a new constitution, the Libyan Observer reported on Thursday.
In a letter addressed to Chairman of the Board of the High National Electoral Commission, Saleh urged the commission to take all the necessary steps to hold the referendum as soon as possible.
Libya’s election commission has scheduled the referendum for next year, but earlier this month asked the United Nations backed government for 40 million dinars (28.7 million dollars) saying it could not prepare for the plebiscite and national polls with a "zero" budget.
The Tobruk-based parliament (House of Representatives) at the end of November approved a law billed as first step for a constitutional vote and national elections, but the details were unclear.
A national conference is planned in Libya for early 2019 to discuss a possible election protocol.
Western powers and the UN hope Libya will hold polls by June after the vote on a constitutional framework to stabilise the oil-rich country, which has been in chaos since the Nato-backed ouster of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi during an uprising in 2011.
