The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has welcomed the election of four municipal councils in western Libya.
“UNSMIL welcomes the first four municipal council elections in 2021 that are taking place in the municipalities of Hay al-Andalus and Swani Bin Adam of Greater Tripoli, as well as Qasr al-Akhyar and Zlitin, in the west,” the mission said in a statement.
Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya Stephanie Williams has hailed the determination of the Libyan people to exercise their democratic rights.
She also praised the efforts made by the Central Committee for Municipal Council Elections (CCMCE) to carry out the elections in full compliance with COVID-19 precautionary measures and in accordance with the recommendations of the National Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.
In a statement on Friday, Williams encouraged all registered voters, “in particular women, youth and vulnerable groups to participate in the polls, while taking all precautionary measures, to contribute to peaceful and inclusive electoral processes.”
The mandate of most of the 116 municipal councils in Libya has expired, according to Law No. 59 of 2012.
According to head of the CCMCE Salem bin Tahia, elections took place in a positive environment and in line with an unviolated integrated security plan.
“These were the first elections held in 2021,” Xinhua quoted Salem as saying.
“We aim to re-elect 30 municipal councils in various Libyan cities this year,” he added, pointing out that Zlitin municipality saw the highest turnout at 42 percent while Hay al-Andalus saw the least turnout with 22 percent.
Meanwhile, forces loyal to Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) considered the elections a “lesson” for Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
GNA army spokesman Colonel Mohammad Qanunu accused Haftar of militarizing the municipalities since 2016 by overthrowing elected mayors and appointing soldiers instead.
