The government says that Thursday 20 February will be a public holiday to “allow citizens to vote in the constituent assembly elections.”

A statement released by the prime minister’s office says most government departments will be closed, with the exception of 'essential' services where staff will be required to provide sufficient coverage.

Some Libyans residing abroad have already voted in the elections, which will appoint the 60-member body tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution.

Voter registration for the elections has been relatively lacklustre, with around 1.1 million people having registered so far.

The total electorate in Libya is estimated at around 3.4 million. Some 2.7 million Libyans registered to vote in the election for the General National Congress (GNC) in 2012.