Libya's parliamentary elections held despite expected low voter turnout

TRIPOLI, Libya, June 25 (UPI) -- Parliamentary elections were held in Libya on Wednesday, the second such election since the Gadhafi regime was toppled in 2011.

More than 1,500 candidates are competing for 200 seats in Libya's newly re-branded Council of Representatives, formerly called the General National Congress.

The election comes as the country faces political upheaval and instability at levels unseen since the revolution.

In an attempt to quell political tensions during the election, parliamentary candidates ran for seats as individuals rather than as part of political lists.

The United Nations remarked that Wednesday's election is "an important step in Libya's transition towards stable democratic governance."

Voter turnout, however, is expected to be low. Only 1.5 million Libyans registered to vote, down from the 2.8 million who registered in 2012.

Polls were closed in the eastern city of Derna due to security concerns.