TRIPOLI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Libya began its second phase of municipal council elections on Saturday, with polling stations across the country opening from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.

The elections covered 26 of the 63 municipalities initially slated for this phase, the Libyan High National Elections Commission (HNEC) said. Voting in other municipalities has been suspended due to "irregularities" and security concerns following recent attacks on HNEC offices.

The commission said the assaults are "part of a larger agenda pursued by forces of darkness and instability" seeking to exclude Libyans from decision-making.

The first phase of the election was held in November 2024 across 58 cities, with a voter turnout of 74 percent.

Libya remains divided since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi, split between the UN-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli and an eastern-based administration backed by the Libyan National Army under commander Khalifa Haftar. Enditem