The US embassy in Libya said on X on Monday that the Special Envoy, Richard Norland, had expressed Washington’s congratulations to the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) for holding the first round of municipal elections on November 16 in 58 communities across Libya.
Norland said the US also noted the important work of the Libyan security agencies responsible for ensuring the safety of the process, adding that the municipal elections highlighted the desire of the Libyan people to elect their local leaders and have a say in decisions that impact their lives and communities.
“We hope that the Libyan people and Libyan leaders will be able to build on this important step to hold municipal elections for the remainder of the country and ultimately develop a credible roadmap to successful national elections.” Norland added.
Likewise, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has commended the successful conduct of polling for the first group of 58 Municipal Councils on 16 November, organized by the HNEC.
HNEC issued on Sunday figures for the first phase of the municipal elections, which were held last Saturday in 58 municipalities distributed over 16 electoral offices, including 352 polling stations in 77 polling centers. It recorded a participation rate of 74%.
The number of registered voters reached 186,055, including 130,000 men and 56,000 women, while the number of candidates reached 1,786 candidates within 159 lists, in addition to 545 candidates within the individual-independant system.
