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By Umar Khan.
Tripoli, 7 July:
Tripoli, 7 July:
More than 100 . . .[restrict]voters were lined up at the gates of one polling station in Janzour from 7am, an hour before the polling station were to open. In the first hour alone, 35 percent of the total voters had already voted. The women voters were present in large numbers and according to one independent monitor, if the trend continues, the voting will be finished much earlier than the actual time.
The polling stations in Gurgi, Siyyahiya, Hay Al-Andalus and Mansoura were crowded even before they were opened. The voters were queuing to vote well before the polling stations opened. The number of voters dipped around 9:30 to 10:30am in several locations but gradually picked up again later.
The staff in different polling stations was very alert and friendly. The security was very strict in all polling stations, with at least 10 security officials guarding each polling station.
Emotions were running very high as people coming out after voting waved their ‘inked’ fingers to other would-be voters standing in the queues, waiting for their turn. They were shouting Takbeers (God is Great) in response.
From early morning, voters made their way to Martyrs Square after voting. A small crowd was walking around chanting “God is Great” and singing the national anthem. A large number of cars could be seen driving around the square, honking horns, flashing their ‘inked fingers’ to the blasting sound of national anthem.
Security throughout Tripoli has been very strict with checkpoints, manned by police, at every main road. There is also a heavy presence of armed fighters at strategic locations.
Tarhouna
The voters turned out in large numbers to vote in the first elections in over four decades in Tarhouna. The turnout out was said to be massive at all the town’s polling stations including the ones in the suburbs of the city, like Al Khadra.
Riqdalin
The turnout in Riqdalin was initially small but the voters were heading to vote in stead numbers and according to one local observer, the number who will have voted by the time the polling stations close at 8 p.m. would be as high as elsewhere in the country. He put the relatively low turnout to the high temperatures. Most voters would turn up in the late afternoon when the temperature settles. [/restrict]
