Tripoli military chief Belhadj enters politics

2012-05-16 Tripoli Military Council head Abdel Hakim Belhadj on Tuesday (May 15th) announced that he had resigned in order to participate in Libya's June 19th constituent assembly elections. He explained that he exited the post Monday night because the military council had completed its mission.

"The Council has helped integrate thousands of revolutionaries into the national army and interior ministry," he said, adding that the time had come for state "institutions to take charge of security".

Belhadj, who said he would launch his "Hizb al-Watan" (Homeland Party) next week, called on former revolutionaries to participate in politics. The new party, which will include known political figures, already has "a presence in all Libyan cities", he told Magharebia.

The former Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) commander is one of the most prominent Islamist leaders in Libya.

Libya voter registrations top 2 million

2012-05-16 Libya's High National Electoral Commission (HNEC) on Monday (May 14th) reported that voter registrations had exceeded 2 million.

"We're very happy with the awareness of the Libyan people," HNEC member Issa Ashur told Magharebia. "With this, we've exceeded two-thirds of the target number."

Some 1,700 candidates have also registered for the June 19th elections.

Libyan candidate slain in Wadi al Hayaa

2012-05-14 A candidate running in Libya's upcoming constituent assembly elections was found murdered Sunday (May 13th) near the southern oasis town of Awbari, AFP reported.

"An armed gang travelling in five cars" followed Murzuq district candidate Khaled Abu Saleh after he completed his registration with the electoral commission, then "surrounded and killed him", High Security Commission official Mohammed Saleh said.

Also on Sunday, Libya's High National Election Commission extended the voter registration deadline until May 21st. Some 1.52 million people have already registered to vote in the June 19th constituent assembly elections.

In other Libyan election news, candidates running for the Benghazi local council presented their visions of how the city should be run. The appearances of political candidates on Libyan television last Friday marked a first for the country.

The Benghazi candidates, including several women, outlined their platforms for improving living standards, security, infrastructure, health and education.

Tripoli rallies against violence

2012-05-14 More than 2,000 Tripoli residents turned out Friday evening (May 11th) at al-Shuhada Square to call for unity and public involvement in restoring security to Libya.

Participants carried banners reading: "No to Chaos for Personal Interests" and "No Brigade or Platoon, Libya is a Civil State." They also raised banners saying, "Libya's Honest Revolutionaries Don't Raise Arms against Fellow Libyans" and "No to Assault on Libya's Institutions".

"We're proud to see our army and security forces from the children of this country," National Transitional Council (NTC) spokesperson Dr Mohammed al-Harizi told the crowd. "We ask all revolutionaries to join state institutions. We should all take part in building our state," he said.

At the end of the rally, civil society organisations issued a joint statement hailing the "thwars" who had decided to join the army and security forces.

Libya offers security jobs to Toubou tribesmen

2012-05-13 Armed Toubou fighters will be offered jobs as security officers for the Libyan interior ministry or other state institutions, Libya Herald reported on Sunday (May 13th). The tribesmen are also eligible for the army. Those with educational qualifications will be awarded scholarships for further study and training.

Weeks of clashes between Toubu and Zwai tribesmen in Kufra claimed some 130 lives before local authorities brokered a ceasefire in April. The integration of the ex-fighters into state institutions is part of the long-term plan to stabilise the restive region.

Libya, Italy discuss illegal immigration

2012-05-13 Libyan Foreign Minister Ashour Ben Khayal and his Italian counterpart met Saturday (May 12th) in Rome to discuss the illegal immigration crisis, Libya Herald reported. Ben Khayal warned that the lack of adequate security on Libya's borders could result in an increase of the illegal immigration flow to Europe.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata said that Italy would boost co-operation with Libya in monitoring illegal immigration and strengthening border controls. Italy on Monday will also request more European Union funding to address the issue, the Italian official said.

Libya voter registrations exceed one million

2012-05-11 More than one million Libyans have already registered to participate in the first national elections since the end of Moamer Kadhafi's regime, AFP reported on Thursday (May 10th).

Libya's high electoral commission on Thursday said that 1,167,999 people had signed up to cast a ballot.

Only a few voters, like Omar Bashir Afiya, are old enough to remember taking part in parliamentary elections under the monarchy overthrown by Kadhafi in 1969.

"History will judge who leads us next but let's hope for the best," said Afiya, leaning on his son as he registered.

The ruling National Transitional Council has pledged to hold elections for a 200-seat constituent assembly in June. A total of 120 seats in the assembly are reserved for independent candidates, while the remaining 80 are open to political parties.

The assembly will appoint a committee of experts to write a draft constitution, which will then be submitted to a national referendum.

Libyan waqfs minister rejects extremists in mosques

2012-05-11 Libya's Minister of Religious Endowments (Waqfs) and Religious Affairs on Thursday (May 10th) appealed to "honest Libyans" to stand up against extremists.

In an interview with Libya's al-Anbaa daily, Dr Hamza Abu Faris said that extremists have forcibly taken control of several mosques but that his ministry had little military or security capacity to prevent the actions.

Many of the extremists became imams "at gunpoint", the minister said.

In related news, a crowd of citizens marched opposite the Ministry of Religious Waqfs in Tripoli to demand that extremists be prevented from working as khatibs in mosques. Protestors called for the ministry to prevent religious extremists from attacking the civil state and committing human rights violations related to application of sharia.