East Libya parliament set to vote on constitution bill

By Jihad Nasr

TRIPOLI (AA) – East Libya-based parliament is set to vote Monday on a bill for holding a referendum on a proposed constitution.

“Members of the House of Representatives (parliament) have arrived in [the eastern city of] Tobruk to take part in the vote,” spokesman Abdullah Bleiheq said in press statements.

In July 2017, a constitution-drafting assembly approved a draft for a permanent constitution and demanded the adoption of a bill for holding a referendum on the draft.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNMIL) immediately welcomed the move, saying on Twitter that it is “following closely this democratic process to ensure a free and fair voting process on the referendum bill for the future and safety of Libya”.

In May, Libya’s warring rivals agreed during talks in Paris to finalize and adopt a constitution by Sept. 16 and hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 18.

Libya has been dogged by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led to the death of strongman Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.

Since then, Libya’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power -- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli -- and a host of heavily-armed militia groups.