Zelten—Libya gets its first woman mayor in its history as Ms. Al-Zayra Al-Maqtouf won the elections on Monday night and assumed the position of mayor of Zelten Municipality.
Zelten is a Libyan coastal city with a population of 35,000, located in the western region, about 130 km west of the capital, Tripoli. It is also the nearest town to the Libyan-Tunisian border and the border crossing of Ra’s Ajdair.
The High National Elections Commission (HNEC) said in a statement, “in a precedent that is the first of its kind in Libyan history and in the path of democracy and elections, Ms. Al-Zayra Al-Maqtouf won the position of mayor of Zelten Municipality during the mayoral elections.”
“This success came as a culmination of the efforts of the Women’s Support Unit at the HNEC and the endeavors it is making to provide the right conditions for women’s participation in the elections and provide opportunities to increase women’s seats in municipal councils,” the statement added.
The HNEC said it has always encouraged women’s candidacies and believed in the capabilities of Libyan women as being effective leaders who can bring change and development to the country.
Ms. Maqtouf rose to victory because she gained trust from the voters as she entered the race for mayoral elections and have confirmed the inevitable Libyan women’s role in local politics and public service. The Zelten election experience will be studied by all those ladies who aspire of running for public office in the future.
“Today, as Ms. Al-Maqtouf achieves this victory, the Women’s Support Unit salutes the efforts of the electoral awareness activists in the West Coast, Ms. Kamila Masoud and Ms. Aya Boutabaa, and proudly recalls their efforts throughout the year to get women out to vote and run for office. These efforts have led to a wide women turnout as a result,” the HNEC said.