Libya council hands power to new assembly

Libya's National Transitional Council on Wednesday handed power to a new assembly in a symbolic move marking a peaceful transition following the overthrow of Moamer Kadhafi's 40-year dictatorship."I hand over the constitutional prerogatives to the General National Congress, which from now on is the legitimate representative of the Libyan people," NTC chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil said.He passed the reins to the oldest member of the 200-seat legislative assembly elected on July 7 at a ceremony that was scheduled late in the day because of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month when believers fast until dusk.A conference room was arranged in an upscale hotel in the Libyan capital as a makeshift venue for the assembly, which is due to begin its work a week from now, according to the official LANA news agency.The authorities put in place tight security measures for the ceremony, in view of the ongoing violence in Benghazi and in the capital, where a car exploded during a marketplace gunbattle on Saturday.The interior ministry said it cordoned off the hotel and that "all the roads near or leading to the conference will be closed" until early Thursday.Representatives of civil society groups and diplomatic missions in Libya, as well as NTC and government officials, attended the ceremony.The General National Congress, the outcome of last month's ballot, will be tasked with choosing a new interim government to take over from the NTC, and will steer the country until fresh elections can be held, based on a new constitution to be drafted by a constituent authority of 60 members.