iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — President Obama congratulated the people of Libya on Thursday for participating in elections for a new Council of Representatives.
Obama called the election “a milestone in their courageous efforts to transition from four decades of dictatorship toward a full democracy.” The Wednesday election was, the administration says, a positive step toward allowing Libyans to determine their own future.
The BBC News reported that fewer than half of those eligible to vote actually showed up to the polls. In addition to low voter turnout, at least five people may have been killed in clashes between government forces and militants.
The Obama administration reiterated that the U.S. “calls on all parties to renounce violence and resolve differences through political dialogue.”
The U.S. president said Thursday that the U.S. was “proud” to support Libya during their revolution and their efforts to end the Gaddafi regime, and remains “committed to supporting the Libyan people as they work to lay the foundations of a democratic society.”
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