Youth participation in elections is essential for bringing about change, say Libyan youth in an online training

Some 25 young men and women from across Libya participated on Tuesday, in an online training workshop on the electoral process with Electoral Assistance Service. 

The training highlighted the vital role elections play in enabling citizens to manage the public affairs of their country, whether through selecting governors and representatives from among multiple candidates or through accepting and rejecting political proposals and decisions through voting. Participants also discussed the upcoming municipal elections in Libya, which will include about 60 municipalities in its first round and targets approximately 210,000 registered voters listed with the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) and the biometric technology being implemented to speed up the electoral process and ensure its integrity. 

“Youth in Libya represent about 38% of the total population, which is a significant demographic, but their participation in the electoral process is weak for various reasons, some of which may stem from mistrust in the institutions and authorities that were previously elected, or from lack of knowledge about the electoral process,” said Ahmed Alameri, Electoral Officer at UNSMIL. He added, “This is where our role in the Mission comes in: to raise awareness and encourage youth to participate, whether in voting or running for office, to ensure their voices are heard and to advance the political process in Libya.” 

Participants expressed their interest in engaging in the upcoming elections. “Today, I learned a lot about the electoral process and its importance,” said one participant, and others highlighting the importance of youth in encouraging other young people to register to vote and to run as candidates. 

According to a recent national survey conducted by the National Economic Social Development Board to study the status of youth in Libya, despite the high average trust of youth in municipal councils compared to the government and legislative authority, nearly 45% of young people do not trust the municipal council in their area. About 63% of youth have never participated in any previous elections. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).