The first round of Libya's local elections took place on Saturday, with a rolling series of votes in different areas set to be held in the coming weeks. 

The local elections will appoint local councillors and a council leader for each region. The High National Election Commission (HNEC) has announced the dates for the following areas:

• Bayda, Shahat, Tazerbu and Ghat - 30 November
• Awjila, Traghen, Wadi Atbah and Zintan – 7 December
• Al-Harraba, Ghariyan – 14 December
• Zaltan, al-Ajailat, al-Hawamid, Nasma, al-Usbaa, Kikla – 21 December

It is not clear when or if elections in other areas of the country will happen.

State news agency LANA said that the president of the General National Congress (GNC), Nuri Abu Sahmain, attended a ceremony on 30 November to mark the beginning of the electoral process.

Preparations for the elections have not been altogether smooth, however, with candidate registration being delayed and threats of boycott by some groups, including the Amazigh community, which had been demanding greater representation for Libya's Berber minority.

In October, prime minister Ali Zeidan had suggested that local councillors should be appointed and not voted in, but said preparations for the elections were already too far advanced to change course.

Zeidan said that any potential candidates should be interviewed to ensure they were qualified for the role.