Voters Guide website launched

Tripoli, 10 February 2014:

An online ‘Voters Guide’ which aims to help voters get to know the candidates for the 60-member committee that will draft Libya’s constitution was launched yesterday.

The website gives voters the chance to read about candidate positions on some controversial issues for Libyans, including women’s rights, who interprets Islamic Sharia and whether former regime loyalists should be included in constitutional dialogues. It is intended to be a useful tool in the run-up to the election on 20 February.

The Voters Guide will also give candidates the opportunity to clarify their positions on some of the most critical articles in the constitution, including state organisation, citizenship and general rights and freedoms. A questionnaire is being circulated to all candidates, posing questions rested to different aspects of the constitution, including several relating to how they intend to ensure the Libyan people are properly represented. Candidate answers to these questions will be published on the website.

The initiative is being led by civil society organisations from a range of constituencies and includes women, young people, and representatives from ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.

“Through our first experience with the General National Congress (GNC), we’ve learned that without clear guarantees for a democratic process of governance, personal and political agendas invariably take over,” said one volunteer. “This time, we want to know which candidates are going to guarantee a constitution-making process that is inclusive, transparent and participatory.”

The Voters Guide also aims to promote transparency and accountability. “‘No more closed door politics’ is the lesson we’ve learned,” she said, adding that candidates would be held accountable in the future.

For the Voters Guide Facebook page, click here.

For the Voters Guide website, click here.
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