Polling is under way in Libya to elect a new national parliament despite much of the country being in the grip of the worst violence since the 2011 uprising. Polling stations opened at 6am GMT on Wednesday, with 1.5 million registered voters choosing from the 1,628 candidates contesting 200 seats in parliament. The vote is Libya’s third legislative election since the declaration of liberation that ended the 2011 uprising against the former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. The 200-seat House of Representatives will replace the General National Congress which has become deadlocked in recent months in disputes between Islamist members and their opponents. On June 21 and 22, 11,000 registered Libyan voters in 13 foreign countries cast their votes in 22 voting stations, according to the Higher National Elections Committee.
The vote takes place against a backdrop of tribal skirmishes in the south and several weeks of attacks by the forces of former General Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by sections of the army and air force, against fighters in the eastern city of Benghazi.
Adding to the problems are calls for boycotts in western Libya among sections of the Amazigh, Tobu and Tuareg minorities, each concerned that it has not secured wide enough representation in the new parliament.
Organisers are also dealing with apathy among voters, with only 1.5m of Libya’s six million population registered to vote, less than half the number who registered for the elections in 2012 which were the first since the Arab uprisings. Thirty of the 200 seats are reserved for female candidates, a quota system rights groups say is necessary to ensure female participation. About 600,000 women are registered to vote.
Full Article: Libya begins election amid violence – Middle East – Al Jazeera English.