Libya held rare municipal elections in nine communities on Saturday, although turnout in the country’s first voting since five years reached only about 38 percent. Only nine out of 69 municipal councils in southern and western Libya voted on Saturday, officials said. Libya created 120 municipal councils in 2013 in a bid to end 42 years of centralization and one man rule under Gaddafi. Some councils held elections in 2014. The UN efforts aim to prepare the country for long-delayed national elections.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 30, 2019 23:15 UTC