By Ashraf Abdul-Wahab.
Tripoli, 2 March 2014:
The February Committee has voted in favour of direct presidential elections as well as legislative elections . . .[restrict]if a draft constitution cannot be completed by July.
The Committee voted yesterday to hold separate elections for a president and a legislature to replace the government and the General National Congress (GNC). The vote was passed by a majority of ten, with four voting against and one abstention.
The February Committee, set up three weeks ago, is charged with amending the 2011 Constitutional Declaration to set up procedures for elections to replace the government and the GNC.
According to the roadmap adopted on 3 February, Libya will hold new elections if, by early May, it is clear that the Constitutional Committee cannot come up with an agreed draft for a new constitution by July. If that is the case, the February Committee will present its amendment to Congress to vote into law. Elections will then be held in June.
The February committee is comprised of six Congress members and nine other experts. [/restrict]
