Tripoli , Libya ( CNN ) -- Polls opened in Libya on Wednesday in the country 's second parliamentary elections since the fall of the Gadhafi regime in 2011 . The vote was announced last month as Libya faced its worst political and security crisis since the revolution . The voting is taking place at a time of high tensions that have polarized the country into two camps : Islamists and those who oppose them . More than 1,500 candidates are competing in these elections , but they are running as individuals , not as political parties . In Libya 's first vote in 2012 , a more liberal political coalition won more seats than the Islamist parties . The United Nations , the European Union and other Western countries have called for peaceful polling and stressed the importance of these elections for Libya 's transition to democracy . More than 1.5 million Libyans have registered to vote for a new 200 member parliament that will be called the Council of Representatives ( COR ) and will replace the General National Congress ( GNC ) .
The vote takes place against high tensions that have polarized Libya . It 's the country 's second parliamentary election since the fall of the Gadhafi regime . The vote is seen by the West as important for Libya 's transition to democracy .