Libya’s Constitution Drafting Assembly meeting provokes protest

Libya

Published on Thursday, 3 August 2017 Back to articles
Libya's Constitution Drafting Assembly meeting provokes protest

On 29 July, an armed group stormed the headquarters of the Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) in Bayda during one of its sessions. The assembly members had met to vote on the latest proposed draft of the new constitution. It was reportedly passed by 44 votes of its 60 members and thereby by the necessary two-thirds majority.

Protesters had gathered around the headquarters to demonstrate against the meeting. The assembly’s work has been the source of great controversy because they have been tasked with developing laws covering highly divisive issues including: minority rights; citizenship; transitional justice; and the roles and responsibilities in future Libyan governments.

Immediately after the assembly approved the latest draft, the armed protesters arrived to intimidate the group and trapped the members in the building. One assembly member pleaded for the local security forces in the area to address the situation and the UN condemned the attack. The area is under Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar’s control and there were allegations that the armed group was made up of his supporters.

One of the more controversial articles in the original draft barred anyone: with dual nationality in the last five years; who has lived abroad in the last 10 years; and/or has held military rank in the last year, from being president. This would have barred Haftar from running for president. There were, however some updates to the draft constitution that was approved by the CDA and which may now go to a referendum. It appears that the article was changed immediately before the vote in order to make it easier for Haftar to become president.

Under the new rules, the new president: has to be Muslim; cannot be married to a foreigner; must be at least 35 years old; must hold a university degree; cannot hold dual citizenship or their second nationality has to be renounced at least a year before the call for candidates; and they cannot have been convicted of a crime.

This is an excerpt from an article in our weekly Libya Politics & Security publication.

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