Liberals claimed an early lead on Sunday in counting of votes across the country after Libya's first free elections following the ouster of dictator Moammar Gaddafi, Now Lebanon reported.


"Early reports show that the coalition is leading the polls in the majority of constituencies," the secretary general of the National Forces Alliance, Faisal Krekshi, told AFP.


The alliance of liberal forces is headed by Mahmud Jibril who played a prominent role as rebel prime minister during the popular revolt that toppled Qaddafi last year.


The leader of one of Libya's main Islamist parties acknowledged that the rival coalition had the advantage in the country's two largest cities.


"The National Forces Alliance achieved good results in some large cities except Misrata. They have a net lead in Tripoli and in Benghazi," said Mohammed Sawan, who heads the Justice and Construction party.


"But it is a tight race for us in the south," added Sawan, a former political prisoner and member of Libya's Muslim Brotherhood, which launched the party.


The bulk of Libya's population and registered voters are concentrated in the capital, which lies in the West of the oil-rich desert country, and in the eastern city of Benghazi.


Libyans on Saturday voted for a General National Congress, a 200-member legislative assembly which will steer the country through a transition period. Turnout was above 60 percent, the electoral commission said.


A total of 80 seats in the incoming congress are reserved for political entities while the remaining 120 are held for individual candidates, some of who are openly allied to specific parties.


Altogether, 3,707 candidates stood in 72 districts nationwide.


Votes were still being tallied by Libya's electoral commission with preliminary results expected by Monday night.


The world is waiting to see whether Libya, a conservative Muslim country with no significant minorities, will deliver a win for Islamists
like in neighboring Egypt and Tunisia.


From the parties, the National Forces coalition and two Islamist contenders, Justice and Construction and Al-Wattan, stood out from the start.


But early reports by local media seemed to back the party leaders' claims.