In a peaceful transition, Libyan National Transitional Council, which took power following ousting former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, handed power to new assembly.

In a peaceful transition, Libyan National Transitional Council, which took power following ousting former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, handed power to new assembly.

NTC Chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil announced the move late on Wednesday, praising the new legislative authority as representative for the Libyan people.

"I hand over the constitutional prerogatives to the General National Congress, which from now on is the legitimate representative of the Libyan people,” Abdel Jalil said during a ceremony Wednesday.

He passed the reins to the oldest member of the 200-seat legislative assembly elected on July 7 at the ceremony.
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 the eastern city of Benghazi and in the capital, where a car exploded during a marketplace gun battle on Saturday.

The interior ministry said it had cordoned off the hotel and that "all the roads near or leading to the conference will be closed" between 1700 and 0100 GMT.