Nuri Abu Sahmain (C), the new head of Libya's General National Congress (GNC), raises the signature sheet during a signing ceremony for the law on elections of the constituent body for the drafting of a new constitution, in Beida. – Reuters Maha Ellawati and Ahmed Elumami TRIPOLI – There was a ceremony in the old Parliament building in Beida in Cyrenaica to inaugurate the new commission to draft the constitution, approved by Congress last Tuesday. The law and the planned elections to the commission was a major development, the head of the General National Congress (GNC), Nuri Abu Sahmain, said in a speech at the event. For it to succeed would require all Libyans to participate in the elections to it, he stressed. The commission is widely known as “the 60 Committee” because it has 60 members, 20 each from Libya's three historic provinces – a reflection of the similarly-based 60 Committee that devised Libya's 1951 Independence Constitution. Abu Sahmain said that Congressmen had no intention of interfering with the drafting of the constitution. He pointed out, however, that the GNC, as Libya's legislature, would have to be involved with any legal issues, such as amendments or corrections. He also stressed that members of Congress would have the right to appeal decisions of the Commssion, including guarantees on the rights and freedom of the Libyan people. The ceremony was also attended by Prime Minister Ali Ziedan, former GNC leader Mohamed Magarief and the former head of the National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil. Several members of Congress and the local council of Beida also attended. In his speech, Abdul-Jalil commemorated the martyrs and said that Libyans should adhere to the principles established in the Quran. Other speakers praised all the efforts being made to rebuild the new Libya. At the end of the ceremony Abu Sahmain formally signed the law setting up the 60 Committee and elections to it. This was then handed over to the President of the High National Election Commission (HNEC), Nuri Elabbar. HNEC will now start preparations for the elections of the 60 Committee. – Libya Herald
