Libya records 74 per cent turnout in municipal elections

Municipal council elections were held yesterday across 58 Libyan municipalities, with voter turnout reaching 74 per cent, the Electoral Commission has reported.

The elections, which commenced at 9am local time yesterday morning, saw some 188,000 voters cast their ballots across 372 polling stations before closing at 6pm.

The process was monitored by 81 registered organisations and 973 individual observers, alongside seven media outlets with 16 representatives.

Speaking at a press conference to mark the start of voting, Electoral Commission Chairman Imad Al-Sayeh emphasised the significance of the elections beyond mere power transfer. “These municipal elections represent a fundamental restructuring of local government in our country”, he said.

The electoral process encompassed 29 municipalities in western Libya, including major population centres such as Misurata, Al-Zintan, Kabaw, Al-Shwayrif, and Qasr bin Ghashir.

A further 17 municipalities participated in the south, among them Bent Bayah, Wadi al-Atba, Traghin, and Ghadames, whilst 12 eastern municipalities including Al-Qubbah, Imsaad, Al-Abraq, and Al-Qiqab also took part.

Al-Sayeh took the opportunity to urge the House of Representatives to amend Law 59, arguing that modifications were necessary for effective implementation. He noted that despite the ongoing political division, the Commission had successfully fulfilled its electoral duties.

Addressing broader electoral concerns, Al-Sayeh stressed that obstacles to parliamentary and presidential elections were political rather than technical, noting that “all laws referred to them for general elections remain locked in drawers”.

Following the close of polls, Elections Commission Council member Abdul Hakim Al-Shaab told Al-Ahrar that preliminary results forms would be processed overnight. He indicated that initial results would be announced within “two or three days”, with a subsequent 21-day appeals period.

The Commission reported that the elections proceeded smoothly, with no violations recorded throughout the voting period.