Libya prepares for urgent constitutional and security challenges

Sovereignty, governance and security remain the overriding priorities as Libya’s outgoing National Transitional Council (NTC) prepares to hand over power to the newly elected 200-member National Congress. The congress will be responsible for overseeing the next stage of Libya’s transition, leading to further elections next year once a constitution has been written and approved by a referendum. The congress and the executive that it will appoint once a ruling majority is formed must also kick-start economic and social development, without which the population will speedily turn against these new democratic institutions.