By Moutaz Ali & Seraj Essul.
Tripoli, 17 May 2014.
Despite worries about the crisis in Benghazi and fears about . . .[restrict]security, Tripolitans went to the polls today to elect new four new municipal councils that will take over the administration of the greater Tripoli area.
The new municipalities are Tripoli Central, Abu Sleem, Hay Andalus and Suq Al-Juma. They will replace current local councils.
Voting started at 8am and lasted until 8pm with dozens of polling stations operating throught the capital: Tripoli Central (43 polling centres), Hay Andalus (49), Abu Sleem (33) and Suq Al-Juma (53).
“The number of people coming to vote so far is not bad considering it is early and the day is still long,” a member of the Central Committee of the Municipal Councils Election (CCMCE), Said Shakeh, told the Libya Herald this morning. “I expect more and more people to come”.
Initial results would be ready by the middle of next week. “The counting takes from two to three days,” he said.
“This is very good for Tripoli as a city,” a voter at a polling station in central Tripoli said. “I think the elected representatives of Tripoli Municipality will want to serve their city in a transparent way.”
The other greater Tripoli area municipalities – Janzour, Ain Zara, Swani, Qasr Ben Gashir and Tajoura – have already held their elections. [/restrict]
