No Result
View All Result
Friday, July 18, 2025
23 °c
Tripoli
24 ° Sat
24 ° Sun
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

The two biggest parties to boycott GNC except for work on constitution

byNigel Ash
July 6, 2013
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A

By Nigel Ash

The GNC on the day it took over from the National Transitional Council

Tripoli, 5 July 2013:

The two largest political parties in the General National Congress have each announced that, for different . . .[restrict]reasons, they will be boycotting sittings.  Both the National Forces Alliance and the Justice and Construction Party say they will only attend to help work on the creation of the new constitution.

The National Forces Alliance was first to declare its hand at a press conference today. Party spokesman Tawfiq Shahibi said the legislature “has been side-tracked from its major goals” and expended most of its energies debating secondary issues that had “wasted” its time.

The NFA has in the  past threatened a boycott but this afternoon Shahibi spelt out the party’s intention to suspend immediately all work in the Congress , except that relating to the new constitution. The NFA is the largest single party in the parliament with 36 of the 80 seats allocated to political parties in the 200-seat chamber.

RELATED POSTS

Presidency Council head Menfi calls for referendum by Libyan people on contentious points of draft constitution

Democracy is the only way forward for Libya: Aldabaiba to Libyan youth

When it was elected, a year ago on Sunday, the GNC’s prime role was to oversee the drafting of a new constitution, to be approved by a referendum and under which fresh elections would then be held.

One year on, and members of congress have only managed to agree on a 15-member committee which will draw up the law for the election of a 60-member commission which will actually draft the new constitution. The 15-member commission, which was appointed on 15 April had 45 days in which to produce the draft law. Nothing has yet emerged. Indeed, the original 18-month timeframe for a new congress, elected under the new constitution, to be holding its first debate, has become evermore un-doable.

While the NFA’s withdrawal from all but work on constitutional issues might not of itself impact on general debates, the absence of its members from GNC committees, where much of the legislature’s work is done, will be more serious.

The compound effect of the decision announced  this evening by the Justice and Construction Party, with its 17 members, to mount its own boycott is however, seems certain to mean serious disruption to the GNC’s business.

The JCP advanced as its main reason for withdrawing from all but constitutional work, that it wanted to help the stability of the country and it was not satisfied with the way that the GNC was dealing with important issues.

Some members of congress are taking a more jaundiced view of the boycotts. Juma El-Gamaty, who leads the Taghyeer Party said that he believed that in the case of the NFA, the move was to try to mask the fact that it was now down to less than 25 members, after some congressmen resigned and others were suspended by the old Integrity Commission.

Gamaty went on to speculate that maybe there was a plan to bring on a crisis that would lead to the dissolving of the GNC, which might bring about the cancellation of all its legislation, including the Political Isolation Law.

“Statesmen and history makers never turn against any democratic decisions they were part of,” said Gamaty,  “even if the outcome was the opposite of what they wanted … nor do they put the interests of a political leader, party,  group or tribe over the interests and the future of the country as a whole, especially in a historic and coherent moment.”

Frustration with the GNC is of course far from confined to GNC members. The latest example of rising public despair at the performance of elected politicians was a stunt by young people in Zawia, who this evening  took planks and nailed up the doors of political party offices in the town.

The GNC had planned no official celebrations for Sunday’s first anniversary of Libya’s historic vote. If nothing else, given today’s events, this was  fortunate. [/restrict]

Tags: boycottconstitutionfeaturedJCPLibyaNFA

Related Posts

ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

National Strategy for Prevention and Combating of Corruption (2025-2030) launched by ACA

July 17, 2025
Western Mountain Military Region conducts operation around Ghadames against drug trafficking and transnational organised crime
Libya

Western Mountain Military Region conducts operation around Ghadames against drug trafficking and transnational organised crime

July 17, 2025
Nearly 11,000 migrants repatriated from Libya and 3,165 Mediterranean fatalities: IOM
Libya

12,338 migrants intercepted at sea and returned to Libya up to 12 July: IOM

July 17, 2025
ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

ACA suspends the Executive Director, the Chairman and 6 Board members of GNMTC

July 16, 2025
ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

Three Fisheries officials temporarily suspend from work by Administrative Control Authority suspected of corruption

July 15, 2025
ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

ACA saves LD 409 million on school textbook printing, suspends Tripoli Education Ministry’s Textbook Warehouse Manager

July 15, 2025
Next Post
Petrol queues vanish as ministry denies shortages

Petrol queues vanish as ministry denies shortages

Injury as Abu Selim SSC fire over heads of angry crowd

Injury as Abu Selim SSC fire over heads of angry crowd

ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • Libyan Railways Implementation Authority invites International Federation of Railways to participate in November workshop

    China to resume implementation of its stalled railways projects in Libya

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Libya and Nigeria discuss gas projects, extension of export pipelines to Europe and high-level delegation visit to Tripoli

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Former ATIB bank Chairman Naaman Elbouri recalls his unjust kidnapping and detention – calls on CBL Governor to implement law against those unjustly accused

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Tripoli based Libyan government plans to complete 150,000 housing units by 2030

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Fuel subsidies reached LD 60 billion, 30 percent of which is smuggled – therefore can invest just LD 5 bn in housing: CBL Governor Issa

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
ADVERTISEMENT
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

National Strategy for Prevention and Combating of Corruption (2025-2030) launched by ACA

Western Mountain Military Region conducts operation around Ghadames against drug trafficking and transnational organised crime

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms below to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.