Lack of Funding May Hinder More Than Half of Libya’s Local Elections – Reuters

Tripoli (Reuters) – According to the head of the elections committee, at least 69 out of 120 municipal councils in Libya may not be able to conduct elections in March due to insufficient funding from the UN-backed government.

Since the introduction of municipal elections in 2013, Libyan authorities aimed to decentralize administration and enable communities to better manage local affairs. However, the deterioration of security conditions following the overthrow of long-standing leader Muammar Qaddafi, combined with inconsistent funding, has impeded the electoral process.

To successfully hold elections for the renewal of municipal councils, the Central Committee for Municipal Councils Elections estimates a budget of at least 50 million Libyan dinars (around $36 million) is required. Currently, the committee has only received 30 percent of this necessary funding, as stated by Salem Bentahia in an interview.

Bentahia emphasized that without government financing, the committee cannot initiate awareness campaigns about the significance of municipal elections.

Officials within the internationally recognized government in Tripoli were unavailable for immediate comment.

Voter registration has been reopened, with over 800,000 individuals listed, including approximately 504,136 women, according to official statistics.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has urged the government to allocate the necessary resources for the municipal council elections to proceed. Since March 2018, UNSMIL, along with the United Nations Development Programme, has been providing technical and logistical assistance to the elections committee.

Following a NATO-backed uprising that resulted in Qaddafi’s removal in 2011, the oil-rich nation has experienced significant turmoil. Since 2014, Libya has been divided between rival governments and military factions in the east and west, leading to a prolonged political deadlock and an ongoing economic crisis.