Libya’s ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) has delayed the country’s first parliamentary elections by more than two weeks due to logistical challenges.

The elections are now set for 7 July, instead of the earlier planned 21 June polling date, according to Nuri al-Abbar, the head of the NTC’s Election Authority, according to Doha-based news channel Al-Jazeera.

The delay is to allow more time for voter registration and candidate vetting for the 200-seat interim National Congress. Of Libya’s 6 million population, about 3.4 million are eligible to vote. On 10 May, only half had so far been registered, according to Mustafa el-Huni, deputy chairman of the NTC, and more than 500 candidates have also registered to stand in the elections.

The National Congress will have a year to draft a constitution setting out the shape of the future Libyan government. A referendum on the constitution is planned for the middle of 2013.