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Jan 23, 2012

THE NTC MEETS IN SECRET


    
    The Libyan National Transition Council (NTC) met this morning in an undisclosed location to adopt the electoral law that will govern the election of a constituent assembly in June, after the devastation of its headquarters in Benghazi (east), it was learned from the CNT. 

"We have not finished our work yesterday (Saturday). A meeting is scheduled today to discuss and adopt the electoral law," a member of the NTC in charge of legal affairs told AFP's Salwa al-Digheili.

"The meeting must take place in an undisclosed location for security reasons", she clarified . Yesterday, up to 1,500 people, including former rebel fighters injured during the revolution, had gathered outside the headquarters of NTC in Benghazi, the cradle of the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. Several homemade grenades were thrown at the building before the protesters did invade and ransack.
Government of occupied Libya recognizes the presence of the forces belonging to 14 different nationalities in the country under the umbrella of the training, assistance and advice ..

The NTC was to hold a press conference Sunday to announce the adoption of the electoral law and the composition of the electoral commission. A bill was made public in early January. The project, which provided only 10% of the 200 seats in the Constituent Assembly to women, sparked the fury of the defenders of women's rights. The prohibition to persons with dual nationality to apply for election was also criticized.


‎Under the Gaddafi government, there were no restrictions on women’s participation in social, economic or political life.
The NTC’s attack on women’s rights in Libya. "The National Congress general (Constitutional Assembly, ie) is composed of 200 members elected in free and direct manner, and 10% of seats will be reserved for women," he specified in the first article of the text published on the website of Committee for preparation of elections. This would mean women would be limited to 20 seats out of 200, and has been strongly condemned by women's and human rights organizations in Libya.

According to the bill, candidates for June elections must be over 25 years, not having been in position of responsibility under Muammar Gaddafi and not have benefited from the old system to make money or gain favor. The minimum age of voters will be 18 years.

Under the draft law, anyone with ties to Muammar Gaddafi or the previous sovereign Libyan government will be banned from running in the elections, including those who “benefited monetarily” from the government. The provision also bars from participation academics who wrote and published about Gaddafi’s “Green Book.


In other words, in the new “democratic” Libya, only politicians acceptable to the NATO rebels will be eligible to run for political office.