By Moutaz Ali.
Tripoli, 17 June 2014:
The election of new municipal councils in Darj (near Ghadames), Ejhraa (near Kufra), Harawa (50 kilometres . . .[restrict]east of Sirte), Kabaw, Sidra, Tocra and Yefren and has kicked off with the Central Committee for Municipal Councils Elections (CCMCE) starting voter and candidate registration in the towns. However, no date has as yet been set for polling in the seven municipalities.
The CCMCE has also extended until 26 July the deadline for voter registration for the elections in seven other new municipalities: Aziziya, Bani Walid, Brega, Jadu, Marada, Musaid and Tarhouna.
“We aim to give people in these municipalities more time to register,” CCMCE member Saied Shakeh told the Libya Herald.
“Our offices in these areas are working to develop voter awareness of the importance of electing their own municipal councils,” he explained.
One of the reasons for extending the deadline is that the seven places have been experiencing continual problems with mobile network coverage, crippling the use of SMS technology for voter registration. A source at Libyana Mobile Company told this newspaper that the company was aware of the coverage problem and was seeking to fix it.
The CCMCE pointed out that voters could use the old-fashioned way of registering, by going to polling stations to register in person.
Meanwhile a new mayor has been elected for Al Asabia. Saad Al Shartaa was selected by his six fellow councillors when they were sworn into office and hand their first meeting last week.
Provisional results for the municipal elections that took place in Murzuk and Shargiya on 24 May have also been released. These are:
A) Murzuk – 10,488 people out of 16,017 registered (or 65.5 percent) voted.
General List (27 candidates)
- Ali Abdullah (2,256 votes)
- Mohamed Kukni (1,917)
- Ali Al-Sahin (1,812)
- Ibrahim Shawish (1,470)
- Mohamed Ilwah (1,092)
Women’s List (4 candidates)
- Atefa Ben Salam (5,808)
Wounded Revolutionary List
- Ibrahim Mohamed was elected unopposed
B) Shargiya – 2,620 people out of 5,694 registered (or 46.01 percent) voted.
General List (27 candidates)
- Ibrahim Bashir (343)
- Ahmed Tuhgri (231)
- Husein Abubakr (218)
- Emhemed Al-Taher (212)
- Omar Beitalmal (208)
Women’s List (3 candidates)
- Leila Omran (1,509)
Wounded Revolutionary List (3 candidates)
- Ahsin Ibrahim (1,507)
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