Security Council Appeals for Peaceful Vote in Libya

The U.N. Security Council urged Libyans to ensure that their national elections  are held peacefully on Wednesday, warning that they are important to Tripoli's transition to stable democratic rule.

In a statement, council members "emphasized that these elections are an important step in Libya's transition towards stable democratic governance and an opportunity for the Libyan people to select a transitional government that meets their legitimate aspirations."

The 15-member panel "called on all parties in Libya to ensure that elections take place peacefully across the whole country and that all Libyans are able to exercise their rights to participate in these elections." 

Members also urged all political forces to reject violence "to engage in dialogue in order to forge consensus on the next steps and priorities of the democratic transition."

In the past few weeks, Libya has been rocked by a crisis that saw two rival cabinets jostling for power while violence raged in the east, where a rogue general is battling Islamists.

Jihadists and other militias who helped topple dictator Moammar Gadhafi in the 2011 NATO-backed uprising have been blamed for violence that has continued unabated since the end of the revolt.