Libya’s High National Elections Commission announced Thursday that the country is to go to the polls on June 25 as planned, despite a political crisis with rival governments contesting power.

Libya’s High National Elections Commission announced Thursday that the country is to go to the polls on June 25 as planned, despite a political crisis with rival governments contesting power.

The panel’s president, Imad al-Sayeh urged Libyans to register on electoral lists by a midnight deadline.

The date for polling, as announced on May 20, remains June 25 "and Libyans living abroad will vote on June 21-22", he told a news conference.

Sayeh said only 1.4 million of the 3.4 million eligible voters had so far registered.
The elections are to replace the General National Congress, the interim parliament which has served as post-Gaddafi Libya's highest political authority.

The GNC was elected in July 2012, in Libya's first ever free polls, almost one year after the revolution which ousted the regime of longtime dictator Moammar Gaddafi.

Its legitimacy was challenged after the GNC prolonged its mandate, due to expire last February, until December 2014.
Under the pressure of street protests, it announced new elections.