Libya held delayed municipal elections in seven northwestern towns on Saturday, marking another step in the fragile journey toward local governance. The High National Election Commission confirmed voting took place in Zawiya Markaz, Zawiya Wassat, Zawiya Gharb, Zawiya Chamal, Sabrata, Sormane, and Bir Ghnam.
The vote had been scheduled for last week, but an attack on commission facilities in Zawiya forced authorities to postpone the process. Earlier rounds of the municipal polls had been held in November for 58 municipalities, followed by another 26 councils earlier this month.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya welcomed the latest vote, urging all parties to respect results and resolve disputes through judicial channels. UNSMIL also called on the appointed government to remove barriers obstructing voting, warning that citizens must be allowed to exercise their rights.
“The holding of elections enables the building of trust and accountability between citizens and their local leaders,” the mission said in a statement. Observers say the elections offer a glimmer of progress in a nation scarred by years of conflict, division, and political paralysis.
Yet Libya remains fractured between two rival governments, with Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s administration entrenched in Tripoli and Osama Hammad’s authority ruling from Benghazi. The west, controlled by Dbeibeh, and the east and much of the south, overseen by Hammad, reflect Libya’s enduring political schism.
For many Libyans, the municipal polls serve as both a symbol of resilience and a reminder of the fragile state of their democracy. The outcome may not heal deep national divides, but it provides communities with a rare chance to choose local representation in turbulent times.
