National Transitional Council

The National Transitional Council (NTC) was a transitional government established in the 2011 Libyan civil war. The rebel forces overthrew the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya of Muammar Gaddafi. The NTC governed Libya for a period of ten months after the end of the war, holding elections to a General National Congress on 7 July 2012, and handing power to the newly elected assembly on 8 August.^[2]^[3]

This article is about the Libyan government. For the Congolese entity, see National Transitional Council (Congo). For the Chadian entity, see National Transitional Council (Chad).

Libya

Tripoli

Arabic

Islam

Unitary transitional government

Mustafa Abdul Jalil

Mahmoud Jibril

Abdurrahim El-Keib

National Transitional Council

2011 Libyan civil war

27 February 2011

28 August 2011

20 October 2011

8 August 2012

Libyan dinar (LYD)

NTC

General People's Congress of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

General National Congress of Libya

27 February 2011

Provisional authority

Deliberative assembly/ deliberative democracy

Tripoli

Libya

Arabic

Mustafa Abdul Jalil

Mustafa Honi

Abdurrahim El-Keib
Mahmoud Jibril

www.ntc.gov.ly

The formation of the NTC was announced in the city of Benghazi on 27 February 2011 with the purpose to act as the "political face of the revolution". On 5 March 2011, the council issued a statement in which it declared itself to be the "only legitimate body representing the people of Libya and the Libyan state".^[4]^[5]^[6] An executive board, chaired by Mahmoud Jibril, was formed by the council on 23 March 2011 after being de facto assembled as an "executive team" since 5 March 2011. The NTC issued a Constitutional Declaration in August 2011 in which it set up a road-map for the transition of the country to a constitutional democracy with an elected government.

The council gained international recognition as the legitimate governing authority in Libya^[7] and occupied the country's seat at the United Nations.^[8] In referring to the Libyan state, the council used simply "Libya". The UN formally recognized the country as "Libya" in September 2011,^[9] based on a request from the Permanent Mission of Libya citing the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration of 3 August 2011. In November 2011, the ISO 3166-1 was altered to reflect the new country name "Libya" in English, "Libye (la)" in French.^[10]

Ensure the safety of the national territory and citizens

Coordination of national efforts to liberate the rest of Libya

Support the efforts of local councils to work for the restoration of normal civilian life

Supervision of the Military Council to ensure the achievement of the new doctrine of the Libyan People's Army in the defense of the people and to protect the borders of Libya.

Facilitate the election of a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution for the country; be put to a popular referendum

Form a transitional government to pave the holding of free elections

Guide the conduct of foreign policy, and the regulation of relations with other countries and international and regional organizations, and the representation of the Libyan people

The "Declaration of the founding of the National Transitional Council" stated that the main aims of the council were as follows:^[38]

In another statement clarifying the goals for a post-Gaddafi Libya, the council committed itself an eight-point plan to hold free and fair elections, draft a national constitution, form political and civil institutions, uphold intellectual and political pluralism, and guarantee citizens' inalienable human rights and the ability of free expression of their aspirations. The council also emphasized its rejection of racism, intolerance, discrimination, and terrorism.^[39]^[40] Article 1 further declares Tripoli the state capital and Arabic the official language while reserving the linguistic and cultural rights of ethnic minorities as well as the freedom of religion for religious minorities.

The stated aim of the NTC was to form a de jure interim government based in Tripoli and hold elections for a General National Congress to replace it. The GNC would then elect a prime minister, appoint a Constituent Assembly to draft a constitution subject to its approval by the Public National Conference (PNC) and by referendum, and then oversee free elections for a representative government.^[41]