Libya's elections commission on Tuesday closed its online voter registration portal ahead of national polls set for December.

 

Commission head Imad al-Sayeh told journalists in Tripoli that some 2.83 million people in the North African country had signed up to vote, and invited citizens overseas to register from Wednesday onwards.

 

Libya, home to some seven million people, has made tentative steps since last summer towards ending a decade of violent fragmentation initially sparked by the overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

 

A UN-brokered ceasefire signed in October between warring eastern and western camps has largely held.

 

Parallel political negotiations have installed a transitional government tasked with leading the country towards national elections set for December 24.

 

The 75 delegates selected by the United Nations to guide the political transition have yet to agree on a constitutional basis for the December polls.

 

Last week at a virtual meeting they again failed to reach a compromise despite pressure from the UN.

 

Sayeh said Tuesday that the commission was waiting for a new electoral law to be passed in order for candidates to begin signing up.

 

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.