Libya set for second phase of local elections in July

The UN’s Hanna Tetteh met Libya’s election chief yesterday to discuss preparations for municipal polls that officials hope will strengthen local governance across the troubled North African nation.

Tetteh, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, spent several hours with Emad Al-Sayeh, who heads Libya’s High National Elections Commission, reviewing plans for elections covering 63 municipal councils scheduled for July.

The talks come after a surprisingly successful first round of voting last November, which saw better-than-expected turnout in 58 municipalities despite lingering security concerns in parts of the country.

“These councils matter to ordinary Libyans in tangible ways,” said Al-Sayeh during a brief press conference. “They determine everything from water supply to road repairs.”

HNEC figures show 521,987 voters had registered by 10 April, with the registration window remaining open until month’s end. Officials expect the final tally to approach 600,000 voters.

One HNEC staff member, speaking on background due to not being authorised to comment publicly, said the commission had learned valuable lessons from November’s polls. “We’ve sorted out most of the logistical hiccups we faced last time,” the official noted.

The municipal elections represent rare political progress in a country that has struggled to rebuild institutions since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

“While national politics remains deadlocked, local governance offers a practical path forward,” remarked Dr Laila Mogherbi from Tripoli University’s political science department.

Tetteh stressed that the UN views these elections as vital building blocks for Libya’s broader democratic development, though she acknowledged challenges remain.

“No election is perfect, particularly in post-conflict settings,” she told reporters. “But each successful poll builds confidence in democratic processes.”

The July elections will include municipalities in both eastern and western Libya, areas that have frequently been at odds politically.

For Libya’s fractured political landscape, these local votes might represent modest but concrete progress where grander national reconciliation efforts have repeatedly stalled.