Libya’s High National Elections Commission (HNEC) issued a warning on Monday regarding attempts to undermine municipal elections targeted in the first phase of the process. In a statement, HNEC highlighted efforts to disrupt the elections through actions that impose control by influential groups and create electoral lists using fraudulent and dishonest methods.
The Commission, via a post on Facebook, stressed that it would not allow these groups to dictate the course of the electoral process, deviating from the executive regulations and the principles designed to ensure peaceful power transition. HNEC reiterated its commitment to taking immediate measures to safeguard voters’ rights and candidates’ opportunities, and to prevent any attempts to compromise the integrity of the elections.
The Commission observed that some targeted municipalities have not upheld the principles of fairness and equal opportunity during the candidacy submission phase. There were instances of pre-emptive control over list formations and decisions on candidacy rights, which conflict with the spirit of the electoral process, fostering exclusion and infringing on voters’ rights.
HNEC noted that such practices necessitate decisive actions to protect the rights of participants and eliminate behaviours that could distort the election process, which is fundamentally based on the voters’ voice and the right to run for office.
