Libyan Municipal Election Silence Shattered by Fires at Electoral Commission Offices

On the eve of a long-anticipated municipal vote in 50 Libyan towns, the calm mandated by the electoral silence period was violently disrupted by two fires that gutted the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) offices in the Western Coast and Zawiya. These incidents transformed an atmosphere of civic preparation into one of smoke and suspicion, raising urgent questions about who is seeking to inflame tensions ahead of the polls.

• The Trump Administration Pushes for Elections in Libya

• What are the new movements of the Muslim Brotherhood to obstruct the elections in Libya?

The HNEC had designated Friday, August 15, as the official electoral silence day for the second group of municipalities. During this period, all forms of campaigning—whether printed, electronic, or on social media—are strictly prohibited, allowing voters to reflect freely before Saturday’s vote. This principle is seen as a key pillar of transparent elections, and follows the November 2024 municipal polls in 58 towns, which took place without major security incidents, boosting confidence in the commission’s ability to run elections in a relatively stable setting.

• The hopes of Libyans rest on a political breakthrough with elections next year

• A Scheme That Made Them Outcasts: The Waning Influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in Libyan Municipal Elections

However, between Thursday night and early Friday morning, the HNEC office in Zawiya was completely destroyed in an arson attack, with ballot boxes and voting materials reduced to ashes. At the same time, another blaze tore through the Western Coast office in Ajeelat, causing extensive damage and injuring a security guard during an attempted break-in. The HNEC condemned what it called a “heinous act” clearly aimed at derailing the electoral process, while reaffirming its commitment to holding free and credible elections. It urged security forces to identify and prosecute those responsible.

• Dabaiba officially submits candidacy for Presidential Elections in Libya

• Libya in 2025: Will the dream of presidential and parliamentary elections come true?

These events come amid a fragile security environment. Just three days earlier, in Zliten, a commission office was targeted in an armed assault involving small and medium weapons, as well as explosive projectiles, causing severe structural damage and injuring two civilians living nearby. The attackers fled after the assault, leaving the city shaken—still reeling from the recent destruction of a key mosque by extremist groups.

The incidents highlight the immense challenges Libya faces in staging its largest municipal elections in nearly fifteen years, covering 62 councils across its three historic regions. Less than twenty-four hours before the polls open, the flames and gunfire serve as a stark reminder that the path toward a peaceful democratic process remains fraught with obstacles.

• They strive to return to ground zero… Libyan Brotherhood obstructs elections 

• On the road to Libyan elections… Islamist obstacles to prolong disputes 

• A Tripartite Libyan Agreement on Elections… Will the Situation in the Country Calm Down? 

• Libya Has Not Resolved the General Elections Issue and is Preparing for Municipal Elections 

• UN Efforts from Eastern Libya to Pave the Way for Long-Awaited Elections

• Libyan agreement to unify efforts to reach elections – Details

• New UN initiatives to solve the crisis in Libya.. Will elections save the situation?

• The Libyan Crisis is still unresolved… Will elections save it?