Libya is set to hold rare municipal elections on Saturday, a test of democracy in a nation still plagued by division and instability.
Key eastern cities, including Benghazi, Sirte, and Tobruk, have rejected the vote, highlighting deep rifts between rival administrations.
The UN mission in Libya, UNSMIL, has called the elections “essential to uphold democratic governance” while warning that recent attacks on electoral offices and ongoing insecurity could undermine the process.
Nearly 380,000 Libyans, mostly from western municipalities, are expected to vote. However, elections were suspended in 11 constituencies in the east and south due to irregularities, administrative issues, and pressure from local authorities.
An attack on the High National Elections Commission headquarters in Zliten has also raised concerns about voter intimidation.
The elections are seen as a test of whether Libya’s factions are ready to accept representatives chosen at the ballot box.
Libya has been divided since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi, with a UN-recognized government in Tripoli and an eastern rival administration backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
