Without setting a new date, leaving the internationally supported peace process in disarray and casting doubt on the fate of the interim government, the Libyan parliament said that presidential elections would not be held as scheduled on Friday.

Confirming a widely anticipated postponement, Libya's High National Electoral Commission today proposed to postpone the elections for a month in view of current disagreements over the rules governing the electoral process, including the eligibility of a number of key candidates.

The differences showed the shortcomings of a presidential election run for widely unacceptable figures such as Ibn Muammar Gaddafi.

The peace process is at stake and has been the only hope for years to end a decade of chaos and violence since a NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

While politicians from all sides in Libya say that it is an indication of a strong popular desire for elections, a large number of Libyans have already registered their names to vote in the elections.

However, with the mobilization of armed groups in Tripoli and other areas in the west of the country, the breakdown of the electoral process is heralded by the escalation of local conflicts and the explosion of a new round of fighting.

Differences on the road map may also undermine the broader United Nations-supported peace process between the two main camps in the east and west of the country, which have committed to a ceasefire since last year.

Some well-known figures in the east warned that the formation of a new separatist government could restore Libya to a split between two rival governments that lasted from the last elections in 2014 until the formation of the current transitional government.

Factions, candidates and foreign powers spoke behind the scenes about whether elections could be held shortly after they were postponed or whether there was a need for a longer postponement in order to reach agreement on the legal basis for voting.

The Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General, Stephanie Williams, stated on social media that she had met with members of the Political Forum, which set the course for the election process last year, and stressed the need for "free, fair and credible elections."