The High National Elections Commission (HNEC) of Libya has denied recent allegations of a breach in its voter registration system. In a statement released on Tuesday, the commission described the claims as “entirely false and baseless,” emphasizing the absence of any evidence of tampering or unauthorized access.
The HNEC reassured the public about the security of its systems, including the voter registration platform. “All the commission’s systems boast the highest levels of protection and security, making them impervious to any hacking attempts,” the commission stated, reiterating the integrity of the electoral process.
The HNEC addressed the potential motives behind the spread of these rumors, suggesting they were intended to disrupt the electoral process and undermine the confidence in the commission held by the Libyan population. The goal, as the HNEC sees it, is to prevent voters from exercising their political rights through the spread of misinformation.
In its statement, the commission urged media outlets to exercise professionalism and credibility in reporting and to collaborate with the HNEC in promoting electoral awareness. The commission emphasized the importance of high levels of electoral participation as “the sole path to a peaceful democratic transition and the construction of a prosperous and stable state.”
This clarification comes amidst a broader context of political developments in Libya. In December, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, called on Libyan stakeholders to engage in good faith with the initiative launched by the UN envoy to Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily. Guterres highlighted this engagement as critical for paving the way to inclusive, credible, and transparent elections in Libya.
In a related development, the Speaker of Libya’s House of Representatives (HoR), Ageela Saleh, emphasized Libya’s parliamentary sovereignty in a meeting with Fortune Charumbira, the President of the Pan-African Parliament, in Benghazi. Saleh advocated for a unified stance from the African Parliament and underscored the necessity of robust support for the Libyan HoR and adherence to its legislative enactments, ensuring that government functions with parliamentary consent.