On 6 November, Libya's Interior Minister, Imad Al-Trabelsi, announced the reinstatement of the ‘morality police’, officially known as the Public Morality Protection Unit, scheduled to begin operations in December. This unit will enforce ‘traditional’ social norms, particularly impacting women and girls, such as mandatory veiling for those over the age of nine, limitations on gender mixing in public spaces, and a requirement that women have a male guardian when they travel abroad. Rights groups warn the measures threaten women's rights, including their bodily autonomy, and may violate Article 7 of Libya's 2011 constitutional declaration, which guarantees personal freedoms. Observers also foresee expedite arrests of women. The ‘morality police’, previously dissolved in 2011, will be based in Tripoli under the Government of National Unity (GNU). This decision follows the creation of the ‘Guardians of Virtue’ program by the GNU in May 2023, an initiative aimed at upholding Islamic values.

Sources: Asharq Al-Awsat, Middle East Eye, Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists, Middle East Monitor, DW, Human Rights Watch

On 16 November, Libya completed the first phase of its municipal elections, which were held across 58 municipalities. This is the first time since 2014 that unified local elections were held simultaneously in the country’s eastern and western regions. The elections saw a high voter turnout of 77.2 per cent out of approximately 210,000 registered voters. While women’s voter registration was low, 73.4 per cent of those registered participated. In terms of candidacy, only 3 per cent of independent candidates and 30 per cent of list candidates were women. A 2021 quota system guarantees at least one seat for women in each municipal council. Although the elections were held in both eastern and western regions, territorial control over Libya remains fragmented. A second phase of municipal elections in 59 other municipalities is scheduled for January 2025. Municipal elections are considered a vital initial step toward other electoral processes in the country, including long-delayed parliamentary and presidential elections.

Sources: HNEC, Libya Review, Al Wasat, Middle East Monitor, UNSMIL, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), UN Women

The High National Elections Commission (HNEC) in Libya announced that 176,339 voters, including 47,979 women, have registered to participate in the upcoming elections for 60 of the country’s 106 municipal councils. The elections are scheduled for 27 August and are due to be followed by elections for the remainder of the councils. Despite backing from both the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the House of Representatives (HoR), media reports suggest that many Libyans remain skeptical of the electoral process due to the country’s de facto division. Voter registration, particularly among women, remains notably low. Efforts by the HNEC and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to boost registration encountered significant obstacles, with reports indicating that 10 out of 12 centers in Libya’s eastern municipalities were unable to open. While municipal elections are considered a vital initial step toward establishing broader electoral procedures in the country, there is still uncertainty as to whether these elections will be held.

Sources: HNEC, Al Araby Al Jadeed, Libya Al Ahrar, Al Watan, UNSMIL

In early October, progress was made on the electoral process as the Eastern-based House of Representatives (HoR) approved modified versions of the laws governing presidential and parliamentary elections, passing them on to the High Electoral Commission for implementation. However, Mohamed Tekala, the new leader of the Tripoli-based High State Council (HSC), rejected these laws and ceased cooperation with HoR. Some HSC members argued this decision only mirrored Tekala's faction's stance, not the council's collective view. On 16 October, the UN Special Representative for Libya acknowledged some progress in the electoral process but stressed unresolved political issues. He highlighted the compulsory second presidential election round and the interconnection of presidential and parliamentary polls as potential sources of disruption. The representative also pointed out the lack of negotiations between rival factions to form a pre-election government, urging dialogue to prevent a unilateral government appointment by any party.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The National News, Relief Web, Middle East Monitor, Reuters, Libya Review

Libya was hit by a storm of unprecedented severity on 11 September. Climate scientists estimate that a storm of this intensity would normally affect Libya only once in every 300-600 years, but that climate change has made such extreme weather events ten times more likely. United Nations officials estimate that nearly 4,000 people were killed in the floods that followed the storm, many in the town of Derna where two dams collapsed, releasing huge amounts of water that swept people, vehicles, and infrastructure into the sea. Residents of the city (and foreign experts) blamed the government for the high death toll, with particular focus on inadequate maintenance of the dams, poor communication with residents in vulnerable areas, and inefficiencies in the delivery of aid.

Sources: British Broadcasting Corporation (1), British Broadcasting Corporation (2), Voice of America, The Conversation