NTC leader: 'Free elections in eight months'

[brooklynite]

Source: AJE

The leader of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) has said the new government will hold free elections within eight months and pledged to put Muammar Gaddafi on trial in the country rather than an international court.

In comments published on Wednesday in Italy's La Repubblica newspaper, rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil also promised to open Libya up to the outside world and build "strong relations with other countries".

"In eight months we will hold legislative and presidential elections," said Jalil, chairman of the NTC which now
controls all but isolated pockets of the oil-rich state.


"We want a democratic government and a just constitution. Above all we do not wish to continue to be isolated in the world as we have been up to now," he told the newspaper.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/08/201182493131161406.html

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I'm sure Hugo Chavez will approve.

[Uncle Joe]

1. I wish the Libyans well on their endeavor to bring about democratic government.

Thanks for the thread, brooklynite.

[MrNJ]

2. For elections to be truly free

they must permit Qaddafi's candidacy.

[Chan790]

3. Theoretically, maybe.

By that I mean they probably have to allow someone from Qaddafi's "green" party or faction to run...but I don't see why they'd have any necessity to allow Qaddafi himself to run as he was ousted and stands charged with multiple crimes.

I'm assuming there will be a ballot qualification process of some sort, probably petition signatures...and I don't see a way Qaddafi would make any such threshold.

[brooklynite]

5. Besides, Qaddafi didn't actually hold office...

...he said several times he was just a public servant, and didn't actually run the Country.

[David Sky]

6. Not if he is charged with crimes. They can set up their elections to

not allow for people charged with crimes to run for office.

"Truly free" elections have nothing to do with which candidates qualify, it has more to do with who can vote and how.

I'm sorry, but war criminals and sponsors and protectors of international terrorist actions don't seem to me to be people one need have on a ballot in order for the election to be "truly free".

[joshcryer]

12. Why? Venezuela does not permit criminals to run.

And indeed, most states that I know of outside of Africa do not permit war criminals to run.

[totodeinhere]

20. Wouldn't he have a hard time running from jail?

If he is captured by then he will either be in jail or dead and hardly in a position to run for office.

[ixion]

4. 8 months is a long time, in those terms

and makes me suspicious of the motivations of this 'transition' council.

[David Sky]

7. 1783-1789... after the Revolutionary war, four years

before we had a Constitution and two more before an elected President.

Just sayin.

Sure, things move faster these days, but there were no UN peace-keepers back then, and no entire world watching on satellite TV feeds, either.

[indurancevile]

17. the whole world doesn't watch unless the media kings want it to.

what's happening in egypt these days? it ain't on the news.

[dmallind]

8. eight months is a VERY optimistic and speedy time frame.

They haven't even settled the power struggle completely, nor gotten assets unfrozen. They have to restore basic sevices starting from law and order and going down to ensuring passports get stamped. And of course they have to establish the conditions and rules of both government and elections, let the parties/groups go through the candidate process, educate the population, and set up a bureaucracy for the election AND the transition, in less time than most US government bodies can build a single overpass.

[ixion]

9. The longer they go without elections, the less chance there is

of having free elections. People in power will get accustomed to that power, and be reluctant to give it up. It happens again and again and again.

[joshcryer]

14. But the transitional council forbids anyone on the council from running for office.

The thing to worry about is a power vacuum. At least that's what I'm worrying about. In Iran we saw what happened.

[ixion]

18. forbid or not, if there is a way to usurp power, someone will do it

it is simple human nature, unfortunately.

[joshcryer]

13. I think 8 months is very optimistic, to be honest.

The civil war is by no means over.

[totodeinhere]

21. Actually, eight months is very little time to organize free and transparent elections

given the state of chaos that the country is in.

[pampango]

10. UK Telegraph: Libya: leaders promise elections next year

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8721102/Libya-leaders-promise-elections-next-year.html

The National Transitional Council promised to hold elections next April to choose a permanent government for the nation ruled by Muammar Gaddafi for 42 years.

Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the TNC chairman made the promise as world leaders prepared to meet to discuss Libya’s future after Gaddafi.

“In eight months we will hold legislative and presidential elections,” Mr Jalil said. “We want a democratic government and a just constitution. Above all we do not wish to continue to be isolated in the world as we have been up to now.”

Mr Jalil and other members of the TNC have said they will not seek office in Libya at the elections, but they will still play a central role in the country’s immediate future.

[joshcryer]

16. Draft constitution forbids it, anyone on the council or anyone with conflict of interest.

It's crazy that they did that, I just hope Libya can come up with some great leaders as so far no one stands out that hasn't died in the ensuing battles.

[daleo]

11. It takes time

To rig elections. Anyway, there has to be an internecine power struggle first, followed by NATO troops being invited in for a few decades.

[joshcryer]

15. I just hope they aren't adopting electronic voting machines like Venezuela...

[daleo]

19. Or Ohio or Florida.

Remember hanging chads, hacked voting machines, exit polls wildly diverging from reported results...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

22. USA: 'Free elections in fifteen months'

Here, we will hold elections in November 2012, and we are already preparing. Eight months is not a long time.

It could happen.