According to the Field Coordination Department at the High National
Elections Commission, HNEC, in Libya, the number of registered voters in the
elections for the General National Congress has exceeded two million and a
half voters. The number of registered voters registered in the 1548
registration centres in various parts of Libya by Sunday May 20 was
2,583,572, bringing the total registered voters to about 75.16% of the total
of those who are eligible to vote in next month's general election.
According to the HNEC's last report the percentage of women who have
registered for the June 19 election has reached 44%.

A rocket-propelled grenade on Tuesday hit the offices of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Benghazi, the Libyan city that gave
birth to the country's recent revolution, according to the organization's
spokesperson. "The premises of our delegation were hit by an RPG rocket but
there were no casualties," said Soaad Messudi. Thirty-five international and
local staff members normally work at the targeted building, which is located
in the western part of Benghazi. The ICRC has been working on the ground in
Libya since the uprising against Gaddafi first exploded in February 2011,
according to Messudi. The ICRC has maintained a neutral stance while
undertaking humanitarian operations there ever since. A branch of the Sahara
Bank was also hit by a rocket attack in Benghazi on the same day, although
there were no injuries, witnesses said.

The NTC (National Transitional Council) is national in name only. There is
no real central government in Libya, and many parts of the country are not
ruled at all, but in chaos because of disputes between local militias. The
militias were often formed by traditional tribal leaders, or just some local
guy who was charismatic enough to organize his own little army during last
year's rebellion. Getting these gunmen to disarm has proved difficult, but
not impossible. The required negotiations take weeks or months and the NTC
has not got enough qualified negotiators to speed up the process. Meanwhile
most Libyans want their Gaddafi-era welfare state back but bigger and
better. Gaddafi held power for so long, despite his bizarre behavior and
mismanagement, by spending over half the oil income on a shabby, but
effective, welfare state. Anyone who misbehaved had their benefits cut off.
But Gaddafi would also cut benefits for the extended family of those who
opposed him. This was a remarkably effective way to run a police state. With
Gaddafi and his secret police gone, people want their welfare state and not
a shabby one either. But without control of the entire country, the interim
government has no way to deliver the expected goodies. Then there's the
corruption, with many militia leaders inclined to grab local welfare funds
for themselves. The new Libya is a work in progress and will probably
continue to be one for some time.