- Title: LIBYA: Election staff work overtime to deliver vote results
- Date: 8th July 2012
- Summary: TRIPOLI, LIBYA (JULY 8, 2012) (REUTERS) ELECTION COMMISSION WORKERS IN OPERATING ROOM, COMPILING RESULTS FROM ALL POLLING STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY MANAGER OF OPERATING ROOM, SALAH ALDEIN ALKUMESHI, TALKING TO COLLEAGUES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SALAH ALDEIN ALKUMESHI, MANAGER OF ELECTION OPERATING ROOM, SAYING: "This operating room is connected with 13 polling stations, and there are small operating rooms like this one in the 13 circles with the same crews. The 13 rooms are working and connected with us technically, logistically, administratively and for security." MORE OF THE OPERATING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SALAH ALDEIN ALKUMESHI, MANAGER OF ELECTION OPERATING ROOM, SAYING: "Most of the stations have almost done their work and even started sending us the material step by step to the data centre where we can get the primary results. So far, there are no primary results or numbers." MAN WORKING MAP ON WALL VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WORKING MAN TALKING ON PHONE VARIOUS OF OPERATING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) IAN MARTIN, UNITED NATIONS ENVOY TO LIBYA, SAYING: "Very satisfied with the way the tally centre has been established and I think the Libyan people should have the confidence that just as it's been a fair poll, it will also be a fair count." LIBYAN FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) IAN MARTIN, UNITED NATIONS ENVOY TO LIBYA, SAYING: "People voting in most cases for the first time in Libya and one almost felt that was more important than which candidates they were voting for. What there hasn't been enough time for is for candidates and the new political entities to make themselves better known to the public." VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF HIGH NATIONAL ELECTION COMMISSION BUILDING EMPLOYEES ENTERING DATA FROM VOTE PAPERS TO COMPUTERS BALLOT BOXES VARIOUS OF STAFF DISCUSSING AT STATION VARIOUS OF STAFF WORKING ON COMPUTERS SIGN READING 'STATION C, CORRECTION' MORE OF STAFF WORKING ON COMPUTERS
- Embargoed: 23rd July 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Libya
- Country: Libya
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVABCCI9FJ2F38186D8JQBTD49YF
- Story Text: Libyans worked hard late in to the night on Sunday (July 8) to get boxes from polling stations to Tripoli after voting ended in the country's historic vote.
Around 1.7 million of some 2.8 million registered voters had cast their ballot, a turnout of just under 60 percent.
Many employees at the election operating had not slept for a few days ahead of the election.
"This operating room is connected with 13 polling stations, and there are small operating rooms like this one in the 13 circles have the same crews. The 13 rooms are working and connected with us technically, logistically, administratively and for security," said Salah Aldein Alkumeshi, Manager of Election Operating room.
"Most of the stations have almost done their work and started sending us the material step by step to the data centre where we can get the primary results," Alkumeshi said.
Voters will select a 200-member assembly that will choose a cabinet to replace the self-appointed interim government and also pick a new prime minister. Many of the 3,700 candidates have strong Islamic agendas.
The United Nations envoy to Libya praised the election process.
"Very satisfied with the way the tally centre has been established and I think the Libyan people should have the confidence that just as it's been a fair poll, it will also be a fair count," Ian Martin, the U.N. envoy to Libya, said.
"People voting in most cases for the first time in Libya and one almost felt that was more important than which candidates they were voting for. What there hasn't been enough time for is for candidates and the new political entities to make themselves better known to the public," Martin said.
The election commission has started to collect ballot boxes from across Tripoli and transfer them to Mitiga Airport for safe keeping.
Analysts say it is hard to predict the political make-up of the new assembly, but parties and candidates professing an attachment to Islamic values dominate and very few are running on an exclusively secular ticket.
The Justice and Construction offshoot of Libya's Muslim Brotherhood is tipped to do well, as is al-Watan, the party of former CIA detainee and Islamist insurgent Abdel Hakim Belhadj. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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