Enthusiasm has been high for elections which occurred in Libya on Saturday, with voter turnout reaching up to 60%, and expected to be even higher when voting is completed this weekend. News networks in the West have seen the elections as one with great promise for Libyans, despite reports of ocassional political violence marring the run up to the election.

Polls opened from 8am and were flooded by voters early on who were able to cast their vote for the first time since electing King Idris al-Senussi, the man replaced in a coup by Muamar Gaddafi five years later.

These videos from CNN and Al Jazeera reflect the euporia felt by many Libyans about getting the chance to elect a new government, who no doubt will view getting the economy on track and improving security as matter of urgent attention.

During polling day reports of violence occurring in certain sections of the country grew - armed gangs stormed a polling station in Banghazi who then seized and burned voting materials and ballots, while there were also  reports of sporadic shootings in other areas around the east of Libya. Triploli managed to avoid much of the violence which was widely condemned by Libyans.

Russia Today ran a typically contrarian report underlining the chaos that they claim is occuring in Libya, and the lack of security provided by the Transitional Council.

Some polling stations had to be reopened in some places in eastern Libya after being forced to shut, but violence did not manage to stop vote counting being held in Triploli. Inital reports indicate that a liberal alliance of parties has fared  better than Islamic parties and is expected in these early stages to win the election, but counting will continue well into next week when the final result is due.