On 15 August early in the morning, the West Coast Electoral Administration Office, located in al-Ajilat, and the electoral commission office in Zawiyya were the subject of deliberate arson attacks.
The West Coast Electoral Administration Office was deliberately torched, causing some material damage and wounding a security officer who confronted a break-in. Firefighters quickly doused the blaze and the al-Ajilat Security Directorate and other agencies launched an immediate investigation. In Zawiyya, the warehouse of the office, which contained voting material, was set on fire. The entire content of the warehouse was destroyed. The security directorate in Surman was fired upon with a rocket-propelled grenade. The building was slightly damaged.
The High National Elections Commission (HNEC) confirmed the incidents and strongly condemned these ‘criminal assaults’ which it said represent an attack on the electoral process itself. It urged security agencies to track down the perpetrators and arrest them.
On the same day, UNSMIL strongly condemned the early-morning attacks on HNEC offices in Zawiyya and Sahel al-Gharbi (al-Ajailat) as a blatant attempt to disenfranchise Libyans and undermine municipal elections. The UN reaffirmed its support for the Commission’s mandate and urged security forces to protect electoral sites and personnel. It called for a swift, transparent investigation and appealed for appropriate measures to secure polling on 16 August. Various international actors also shared or echoed UNSMIL’s concerns, including the EU and the UK. The High State Council (HSC) led by Muhammed Takala, as well as ousted HSC leader Khaled al-Mishri, also condemned the attacks.
The Councils of Elders, Youth, and Civil Society Organizations on the West Coast have called on Government of National Unity (GNU) Interior Minister Emad Trabelsi to resign if he cannot secure the municipal elections. They urged the Ministry of Defense’s West Coast Military Region to assume responsibility. In their statement, they noted that recent incidents at polling stations on the West Coast and in Zliten exposed a stark gap between the minister’s assurances and reality, with attacks on voting centres revealing critical security problems and casting doubt on overall election readiness.
On 15 August, the Ministry of Interior warned against any attempts to sabotage or disrupt the electoral process, accusing certain political parties of being behind such efforts. It affirmed its full preparedness and said security plans are in place for the municipal elections.