Libya drops election quota for women

[tabatha]

Libya will scrap a proposal for 10 percent of seats in a new national assembly to be set aside for women, a Western diplomat who is engaged in discussions with the Libyan election committee told Reuters on Friday.

The new, 200-member assembly is set to be elected in June to draw up a constitution after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi last year.

Last month, the interim ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) posted a draft election law on its website and asked people to comment on it as part of a plan to engage the population in the democratic process. The draft called for 20 seats to be set aside for women.

“After the draft election law was posted on the NTC website for feedback from the public, 80 per cent of the 14,000 emails received (by the NTC) were against the quota, including women’s rights groups,” the diplomat said.

http://feb17.info/news/libya-drops-election-quota-for-women

That is what I consider democracy in action. And not slow, either. Less than a year after "independence" the first election (as in Tunisia) to draft a constitution.

[Mr.Liberty]

1. I find it hard to believe Women's Rights Groups were against this...

I wonder if the NTC still want Sharia Law? Out with one dictator...in with new ones.

[tabatha]

3. did you read the article?

Some Libyan women’s rights groups still support the quota, and say it should be made higher – perhaps more than 50 percent to reflect a majority female population in the country.

[Mr.Liberty]

5. 80% of the responders being against the qouta

tells you the mindset of these "new Libyans" because that's VERY high. Women's Rights groups may have wanted it higher, but they don't represent what I believe to be the mostly MALE Islamic section of the population that undoubtedly want traditional Islamic rule (meaning no rights for women).

[tabatha]

6. Actually, there are many men in Libya who support women's rights

because of what they did in the war.

There was a huge rally in Tripoli after Gaddafi fell specifically to honor what the women did in the war.

A video was produced to thank the women of Libya.

And until you know the reasons for 80% against the quota, you are just making stuff up and generalizing.

[Brickbat]

2. Do they expect women will be voted into more than 20 seats and they don't want a quota to hold them

back? Somehow, I think not.

[tabatha]

4. Probably not this time.

But it means they can never be held back if they get to the point where they get more than 20.