Libya to resume local elections later in October

TRIPOLI -- Libya's elections body said on Monday it will resume municipal polls on Oct 20, covering dozens of local councils in towns across the country.

The High National Elections Commission (HNEC) said the vote will take place in areas where councils' terms have ended or where temporary committees are in charge. It said preparations for polling day are under way.

The move to hold local polls comes amid a prolonged stalemate in national politics. Presidential and parliamentary elections planned for December 2021 collapsed due to disputes over electoral laws and the eligibility of key candidates, deepening the country's long-running divisions.

According to the HNEC, previous rounds of local elections faced delays due to localized security issues, legal appeals, and logistical hurdles. The HNEC says it has still managed to hold polls in more than 50 municipalities in the past two years.

Libya has remained unstable since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. The internationally recognized government is based in Tripoli, while a rival authority in the east is backed by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army.