Islamists falter in Libyan vote

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TRIPOLI, Libya, July 12 (UPI) -- The party of former interim Libyan leader Mahmoud Jibril is trouncing the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, results from the country's elections indicate.

Libyans last weekend took to the polls to vote in their first election in a generation. Though a final official vote declaration was delayed, Bloomberg News reports Jibril's National Forces Alliance is beating the Muslim Brotherhood's Justice and Construction Party handily.

The U.N. mission in Libya said it estimated 2.8 million of the estimated 3.4 million registered voters cast their ballots for members of the National Congress.

Ian Martin, U.N. special envoy to Libya, said the election fulfills the wishes of the Libyan people.

An uprising against the regime of longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi led to civil war and NATO intervention. Gadhafi died after falling into rebel hands last year and interim leaders have since ruled the country.

Demonstrators ransacked election headquarters in the eastern part of the country. Some parts of Libya since Gadhafi's death have called for more autonomy. Opposition groups last weekend closed three of Libya's oil ports and rival militias squared off in Misurata over the fate of detained journalists.

Jibril stepped down Oct. 23, three days after Gadhafi died and two months after rebel forces captured Tripoli.