Benghazi vote inspires hope for Libya
Benghazi vote inspires hope for Libya
What I saw at the polling stations in Benghazi on Saturday was amazing: The spirit of the people, the happiness in their eyes, the smiles.
Some had never voted in their lives.
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An 82-year-old man named Manaa Fatah told me that the last time he voted was when Libya was a monarchy. That means 1969, when the late Colonel Muammer Gaddafi came to power.
''I'm very happy ... this is freedom,'' said Fatah.
NTC member explains Libya's political process
On a rare example of an NTC member publicly explaining Libyas new political and electoral process, NTC member Abdallah Fortia took time to explain in great detail his understanding of Libyas political system to an audience of mainly females at a womens empowerment event on 15 May.
There will be challenges facing the first National Congress or Assembly, he remarked pulling no punches.
After the Congress is elected and formed
it will only have 60 days to draft a constitution. Tunisia has a year, he pointed out. After that, it has only 30 days to publish it and receive feedback and comments on it and then another 30 days to take note of those feedbacks.
It will then have to vote on this draft by a two-thirds majority. A two-thirds majority was chosen to ensure that no one region could have a majority on its own. This would ensure that those in the south and east of Libya had a voice in this constitution. This will probably give women a voice too, he added.