Muscat: Libya’s Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) reached a consensus on a new Libya constitution, the culmination of extensive UN-sponsored consultations that took place in Oman.
Under the agreement, Tripoli was chosen as the capital of Libya, Benghazi would be the Legislative Council headquarters as well as the Electoral Higher Commission and Sabha would be the headquarters for the Constitutional Court.
The delegation achieved 90 per cent consensus on the charter, which was a “good indicator” of things to come, according to Mohammad Al Ghannam, Constitutional Advisor at the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.
Official voting to endorse the constitution will take place in Libya, Al Ghannam said.
CDA member Zainab Al Zaadi said that the constitution grants more rights for Libyan women, especially those who choose to marry a non-Libyan. “There will be more women representation in legislative, human rights and local councils to prevent discrimination against women,” she said.
Qasem Bin Mohammad Al Salhi, Oman’s ambassador to Libya delivered a speech expressing joy for declaring the draft Libyan constitution in Oman. He added that the consensus reached during the dialogue sessions is a model for how to solve differences among brothers.
Al Jilani Abdul Salam Al Jamal, Acting Chairman of the Libyan Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA), said that the consensus reached was done with “free will and without any pressures”. He thanks Oman for hosting the meetings and providing a conducive environment for dialogue and consultations.
