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By Libya Herald staff,
Benghazi, 27 June 2014:
Benghazi’s Tibesti Hotel will be the home for the new House of Representatives rather than as . . .[restrict]earlier reported the Tourist Village in Garyounis, according to the man appointed as head of administration for the new legislature.
Speaking to the Libya Herald after a ceremony in Benghazi yesterday to launch the new home for the legislature, which most Libyans are now calling “parliament”, Faraj Najm said that the opening would take place in the first week of August. It had initially been suggested that the date should be 1 August, he added, but as this would be a Friday it would probably happen on Sunday 3 August.
Referring to the government allocation of LD 25 million to transform the hotel into a debating chamber, offices and accommodation for the members of the new legislature, he said it would need a lot of work to the hotel to do the necessary makeover in time.
The opening meeting is supposed to include a handover from the General National Congress to the new House. Responding to reports that Congress President Nuri Abu Sahmain had said that the handover would take place in Tripoli, Najm insisted that Benghazi would be the venue, describing Abu Sahmain’s decision as “invalid”. The handover from the NTC to Congress had taken place in Tripoli because that was where it was located, he said. Likewise the inauguration of the Constituent Assembly had been in Beida. A precedent had been established and any members of Congress who did not want to come to Benghazi could stay away, he said.
Yesterday’s ceremony marking the move to Benghazi, held in the city’s Fadeel Hotel, was attended by the First Deputy President of Congress, Ezzidden Al-Awami, Justice Minister Salah Marghani, local officials and members of civil society organisations. [/restrict]
