Head of Libya’s constitution-drafting assembly resigns

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI

The head of Libya’s constitution-drafting assembly, Noah Abdel-Sayed, announced his resignation on Sunday.

“I don’t want to continue in my post,” Abdel-Sayed told the local Al-Ahrar television.

He did not give details whether the resignation had been accepted.

His resignation came one day before the Tripoli-based parliament was set to meet to vote on a law for holding a referendum on a proposed constitution.

Last year, the assembly approved a final draft of the proposed charter and has called on the Tripoli-based parliament to approve a law for holding the constitutional referendum ahead of elections.

In May, Libya’s warring rivals agreed to finalize and adopt a constitution by Sept. 16 and hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 18.

Libya has been dogged by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led to the death of strongman Muammar Gaddafi after more than four decades in power.

Since then, Libya’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power -- one in Tobruk and another in Tripoli -- and a host of heavily-armed militia groups.