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LIBYA-CONSTITUTION-REJECT
Libya’s eastern-based parliament members reject constitution drafting assembly
TRIPOLI, Feb 20, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – Members of the Libyan eastern-based
House of Representatives (Parliament) Monday rejected the constitution
drafting assembly, calling for the formation of a committee of experts to
amend the 1951 Libyan Constitution instead.
“The ruling of the Supreme Court is not valid on the constitution.
Therefore, we, the deputies, decided not to recognize the constitution
drafting assembly,” said 18 parliament members representing eastern Libya in
a statement, adding that they call on their fellow members to introduce a
limited amendment to the independence constitution.
The members also refused to issue a referendum law on the draft
constitution, until a committee of experts is formed to “verify the
authenticity of the Libyan identity.”
Last week, Nooh Abdallah, the head of the Libyan Constitution Drafting
Assembly, called on the Parliament to issue the referendum law.
The Assembly last July voted for a draft constitution and presented it to
the Parliament.
However, the Parliament said it refused to issue a referendum law pending
a court ruling regarding the validity of the drafting procedures.
A month later, the appeals court ruled that the draft constitution should
be suspended on grounds that the Assembly held the voting session on a
holiday.
However, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the administrative
judiciary is not competent to hear cases against the constitution assembly.
Most pro-federal legislators in eastern Libya demand a return to the
political system of the 1950s, when the country was divided into three
provinces, Tripolitania, Fezzan and Cyrenaica.
BSS/XINHUA/GMR/0911 hrs