By Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, 21 February 2014:
Fresh Constitutional Committee elections in the 81 polling centres which could not operate yesterday . . .[restrict]because of violence or blockades will take place next Wednesday, 26 February.
The head of Higher National Elections Commission (HNEC), Nuri Elabbar, said at press conference today that every effort will be put into enabling those registered at the affected polling centres to vote. However, the authorities in the form of the General National Congress, the General Chief of Staff and the Ministry of Interior will have to provide full security to ensure the arrival of election material and the safety of the stations and voters, he insisted.
Violence in Obari, Derna and elsewhere forced polling centres to close yesterday while in Murzuk sub-constituency, a blockade by Tebus opposed to the vote prevented ballot papers getting to the centres. In all, 61 polling centres in Obari constituency were affected, 14 in Derna, three for Tebu voters in Kufra, two in Sebha and one in Ajdabyia constituency at the Sarir oil field.
The 34 polling centres did not open in the first place in the west of the country because of the Amazigh boycott will not be involved in the attempt at a re-run. They are subject to political negotiations between the Amazigh community and the General National Congress.
The process of counting yesterday’s votes had begun, Elabbar also said at today’s press conference. HNEC had already received the results from Azziziya, Zawiya, Khoms, Tripoli, Misrata and part of the Jebel Nafusa. Results from the east and south areas would probably arrive tonight, Friday, he added.
The teams at the data and statistics department were starting the count in preparation for a preliminary announcement tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, Sunday, he explained. The timing would depend on the work needing to be done. [/restrict]
