Dubai: Libyans will be celebrating their “first” Eid Al Fitr on September 1, a new political party leader told Gulf News from Egypt.
“This September 1 is the first that he [Gaddhafi] won’t be celebrating his September 1 revolution, but we will celebrate our first Eid,” Ramadan Ben Amer, co-founder of the New Libya Party said.
Muammar Gaddafi came to power on September 1, 1969, after a bloodless military coup.
“The worst is over – I want to say that to everyone. The challenge for the Libyan people starts from now, to rebuild the country,” Ben Amer said.
Friday is due to attract the “biggest” gathering so far in Green Square (Martyrs Square), which will also be renamed on the day (it was previously called ‘Green Square’ under Gaddhafi and was known as Martyrs Square before he came to power) he said.
Ben Amer left his home in Al Ain, 40 days ago for the Tunisia border with Libya, to help his fellow Libyans. A couple of days ago, he left Benghazi to attend a party meeting in Cairo and is planning to return to his homeland soon.
“We need to show the new Libya that Gaddafi has controlled,” he said.
The New Libya Party claims it was the first to form when the function became available earlier this year and now has 2,000 members.
It was started by Ben Amer and its other co-founder Rajap Zatout. Many of its members are Libyans living outside of the country – in Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UK and other European countries, he said.
“Our party stands for salvation, loyalty to Allah and our country and supervision. Our vision is to form a national democratic party that’s moderate, responsible for all its actions and transparent – for all the people of Libya,” he said.
Ben Amer has also been publishing newspaper the New Libya News out of Benghazi in Arabic and English since April.
“Now is the time for people to build a new Libya”.
