2012 Libyan local elections

Local elections were held in Zuwarah in 2011[1] and in several other municipalities in Libya during 2012.

Zuwarah

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Zuwarah residents elected their local council in 2011, following the 2011 Libyan Civil War.[1]

Benghazi

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Municipal elections were held in Benghazi on 19 May.[2] More than 200,000 people registered to vote in Benghazi, and 414 candidates stood for election for the 41 free seats in the 44-member City Council.[3] These are the first elections of their kind in Benghazi since the 1960s.[4] Given the large number of candidates, there has been not very much time for them to campaign and present their views to the people of the 11 Districts of Benghazi.[5]

According to the head of Benghazi's electoral commission, Suleiman Zubi, a total of 138,312 people voted in the election, with turnout between 64% and 69%.[2] Despite 22 female candidates standing for election, only one female, Najat Rashid Mansur Al-Kikhia, was elected to the council.[2] Al-Kikhia did however receive the most votes of any individual candidate.[2]

Misrata

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Municipal elections were held in Misrata on 20 February.[6] The elections to the 28-member City Council were one of the first held after the fall of the Gaddafi regime.[6] Only one member of the existing council stood for re-election.[6]

Of the 156,000 eligible voters, 101,486 people were registered to vote,[7] with a turnout of 57% being given by officials.[8] All of the elected councilors were independents, with Yousef Ben Yousef being elected as the new mayor of Misrata, and 5 other councilors joining the council's executive.[9]

Sabratha

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Municipal elections were held in Sabratha on 7 October.[10] Deya-Uddin Al-Gharabli was elected as the Council Chairman.[10] There was not a high turnout for the election.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b "The voice of Libya's minorities" Archived May 26, 2014, at the Wayback Machine; November, 2011
  2. ^ a b c d George Grant (21 May 2012). "Benghazi local election results announced— woman candidate wins most votes UPDATE". Libya Herald. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Benghazi Heads to the Polls to Elect Local Council". The Tripoli Post. 19 May 2012. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  4. ^ "Libyan voters head to the polls in Benghazi local elections". BBC News. 19 May 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  5. ^ George Grant (19 May 2012). "Benghazi goes to the polls". Libya Herald. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  6. ^ a b c Misrata holds first Libyan elections post-Gadhafi AJC, 20 February 2012
  7. ^ "First Libya polls in 40 years: Misrata votes to elect local council". Middle-East Online. 20 February 2012. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  8. ^ "Misrata Election results". Libya Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  9. ^ "Misrata mayor elected". Libya Herald. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  10. ^ a b c "New council in Sabratha takes over". Libya Herald. Retrieved 6 November 2012.