Sirte says no to council elections — for the moment

 Sirte, 30 April:

Sirte officials have decided not to hold local elections for the before the national elections take place in June.  . . .[restrict]A meeting on Saturday attended by members of Sirte Local Council as well as the Military Council rejected having an poll before the end of June on the basis that there were too many of weapons around. The necessary security and stability for a vote did therefore not exist.

Local media report the council saying that certain conditions had to be in place before elections could be held.

These include the removal of armed militias from the town most of which are outside the control of Sirte Military Council, an end to bloodshed and the reactivation of the local court and the judicial system. Additionally the local Supreme Security Committee needed to be restructured.

Those supporting local elections were said to be some 13 local civil society bodies as well as Sirte Military Council.  The local council, however, rejected the civil society calls claiming that only two out of the 13 organisations were legitimate. The rest, it alleged, had bogus names and no real existence. There was therefore no social consensus for a vote.

There is also apparent resentment over a reduction in the Sirte Local Council area following the NTC’s redrawing of districts. [/restrict]