The High National Elections Commission (HNEC) in Libya announced that 176,339 voters, including 47,979 women, have registered to participate in the upcoming elections for 60 of the country’s 106 municipal councils. The elections are scheduled for 27 August and are due to be followed by elections for the remainder of the councils. Despite backing from both the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the House of Representatives (HoR), media reports suggest that many Libyans remain skeptical of the electoral process due to the country’s de facto division. Voter registration, particularly among women, remains notably low. Efforts by the HNEC and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to boost registration encountered significant obstacles, with reports indicating that 10 out of 12 centers in Libya’s eastern municipalities were unable to open. While municipal elections are considered a vital initial step toward establishing broader electoral procedures in the country, there is still uncertainty as to whether these elections will be held.

Sources: HNEC, Al Araby Al Jadeed, Libya Al Ahrar, Al Watan, UNSMIL

In early October, progress was made on the electoral process as the Eastern-based House of Representatives (HoR) approved modified versions of the laws governing presidential and parliamentary elections, passing them on to the High Electoral Commission for implementation. However, Mohamed Tekala, the new leader of the Tripoli-based High State Council (HSC), rejected these laws and ceased cooperation with HoR. Some HSC members argued this decision only mirrored Tekala's faction's stance, not the council's collective view. On 16 October, the UN Special Representative for Libya acknowledged some progress in the electoral process but stressed unresolved political issues. He highlighted the compulsory second presidential election round and the interconnection of presidential and parliamentary polls as potential sources of disruption. The representative also pointed out the lack of negotiations between rival factions to form a pre-election government, urging dialogue to prevent a unilateral government appointment by any party.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The National News, Relief Web, Middle East Monitor, Reuters, Libya Review

Libya was hit by a storm of unprecedented severity on 11 September. Climate scientists estimate that a storm of this intensity would normally affect Libya only once in every 300-600 years, but that climate change has made such extreme weather events ten times more likely. United Nations officials estimate that nearly 4,000 people were killed in the floods that followed the storm, many in the town of Derna where two dams collapsed, releasing huge amounts of water that swept people, vehicles, and infrastructure into the sea. Residents of the city (and foreign experts) blamed the government for the high death toll, with particular focus on inadequate maintenance of the dams, poor communication with residents in vulnerable areas, and inefficiencies in the delivery of aid.

Sources: British Broadcasting Corporation (1), British Broadcasting Corporation (2), Voice of America, The Conversation

The Office of the Prime Minister for the Government of National Unity (GNU) and other Libyan authorities issued a series of decrees in March 2023 revoking the legal status of all local and international NGOs in the country established after 2011. The GNU is now requiring civil society organizations to establish their legal status under Law 19 of 2001, adopted during the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. That law requires all NGOs to have government approval and only permits groups that work with charity, sports, humanitarian and social issues.

The decrees follow months of intensified crackdown on civil society with incidents of intimidation, detention and withholding entry visas for aid organizations. With potential Libyan elections in 2023, concerns have been raised that the decree effectively criminalizes independent election monitoring. Several national and international rights groups have condemned the move, calling on authorities to guarantee freedom for civic groups to operate. The GNU has granted temporary legality to local and international NGOs to continue working until they comply with Law 19. 

Sources: Libya Observer, North Africa Journal, Human Rights Watch, Africa News, Libya Herald