Libyans have gone to the polls to elect a panel to draft a new constitution in the latest milestone in the chaotic political transition following the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.
There was none of the enthusiasm on Thursday that marked Libya's first free election in July 2012 as public frustration mounts over the weak central government's failure to restore order in the wake of the Arab Spring uprising.
In the first four hours, turnout had reached just 18 per cent, election organisers said.
"I am on the electoral register but I am not going to vote, just because I don't know who to vote for," said Amal, a 21-year-old travel agent.
Only a third of Libya's 3.4 million eligible voters bothered to register compared to more than 2.7 million 19 months ago - and that only after several extensions to the deadline.
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A threat by powerful former rebel militias to dissolve the interim General National Congress (GNC) elected in the 2012 poll had meanwhile ramped up pressure on the weak central government ahead of the vote.
UN envoy Tarek Mitri urged Libyans to "make your voice heard and contribute to your new state's constitution".
"All of us are aware that in a transition, a second election may not motivate people and mobilise energies in the same way the first elections did," he said.
"But we call on Libyans not to underestimate the importance of these elections."
