Ten years ago, Khaled Mami cheered the fall of Moammar Gaddafi’s regime, hoping it would usher in a new period of prosperity. Instead, Libya was consumed by civil strife.

By the time a cease-fire was signed last year, an economic crisis had devastated Mami’s clothing business, and one of his young sons was dead — killed in a mortar attack on their home just south of the capital, Tripoli.

Now, as Libya prepares to hold its first-ever presidential election this month, Mami, 48, is among the many Libyans who fear that the contest may push the country back into turmoil.

Among the 98 people who have registered to run are two of the most divisive figures in recent Libyan history: Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity, and Khalifa Hifter, a warlord based in eastern Libya who carried out a year-long siege of the capital. Interim prime minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who had previously pledged not to enter the race, has also registered to run.

Those three figures command allegiance among rival segments of the Libyan population, and none is likely to emerge as a unifying figure. To the contrary, many Libyans are afraid the election could stir renewed passions and grievances, plunging Libya back into civil war.

“I don’t want to choose another guy from the garbage,” Mami said. “Why does everyone want to rule the country by force?”

While Libya is a resource-rich country with the largest oil reserves in Africa, a decade of unrest has impoverished many in the country and made it a proxy battleground for foreign powers — including Turkey, Russia and the United Arab Emirates — that have at times intervened with thousands of foreign fighters.

Western governments and the United Nations have pushed for the election — the first round is set for Dec. 24 — and described it as a crucial step in the country’s recovery, threatening to sanction any spoilers. Parliamentary elections are supposed to take place soon after.

Many fear the worst. If either Hifter or Gaddafi wins, “there will be war,” predicted Salah Tomi, who owns a construction company in the capital. He plans to vote for Dbeibah, hoping this might avoid further bloodshed.