Libya Local Vote Off to Tense Start After Security Incidents

Libya local vote off to tense start after security incidents

Hundreds of thousands of Libyans are voting Saturday in the second phase of municipal elections, held under tight security after incidents and irregularities forced delays at several stations. The elections are seen as a test of democracy in a nation still plagued by division and instability after years of unrest following the NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Polling took place in around 50 municipalitie…

Libya’s Electoral Commission Calls for Security Crackdown After Office Attacks

On Friday, Libya’s High National Election Commission (HNEC) condemned what it described as “criminal assaults” on its electoral offices in the Western Coastal region and the city of Al-Zawiya, warning that these attacks are deliberate attempts to sabotage the democratic process and deny citizens their constitutional right to vote. According to the commission, the Western Coastal Electoral Administration Office was set ablaze in the early hours o…