Libya buries slain prominent activist

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CAIRO (AP) — Libya’s election commission announced partial
results of the country’s parliamentary elections, as mourners led burial
of a prominent female activist in the eastern city of Benghazi on
Friday, a day after she was gunned down in her house after she caste her
ballot.
The burial comes as Benghazi police spokesman Ibrahim
al-Sharaa said that the only witness to the killing of activist Salwa
Bugaighis has been found dead in the hospital.
The witness was a
guard at Bugaighis’s house who was shot in the leg by attackers before
they stormed inside, stabbing and shooting Bugaighis.
Iman
Bugaighis, sister of the slain activist, told al-Nabaa TV network that
she learnt that the witness was tortured after he gave his testimony.
"To be killed in a crime that shook Libya and the world … this makes
my heart bleed."
Mourners carried her coffin while others carried her picture as women dressed in black wept in grief at
the funeral.
Bugaighis
was killed after casting her ballot in Libya’s parliamentary elections,
hoping to bring stability to the country after three years of turmoil
that followed 8-month civil war that ended with downfall of longtime
dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
The Election Commission announced
results for elections to replace the outgoing Islamist-controlled
council, which was elected in 2012, but outstayed its mandate propelling
street demonstrations amid accusations that its members are backers of
powerful militias.
The candidates were all independents and their political affiliations or ideologies are not clear.
Among
those who were confirmed as winners, are Mustafa Abushagur, who was a
onetime nominee for prime minister post in 2012 but was dismissed after
parliament rejected his cabinet makeup. Another is Hamouda Sayala in
Tripoli who was a close associate to popular, former transitional prime
minister Mahmoud Jibril, who led the largest bloc in parliament in first
elections before disbanding it.
Some members of the outgoing
parliament also won the vote like Abdel-Rahman al-Swehli, Islamist who
belongs to a large family in the city of Misrata, the third largest
city, including those who command powerful militias.
The new
200-member parliament could be a step toward forming a more stable
government with lawmakers’ backing, paving the way for the writing of
the first post-Gadhafi constitution within 18 months and the election of
a president. Still, a new government will face the same challenge as
previous ones — forming a unified military and central police force
while reining in militias, some of which could lash out with violence if
their political patrons lose in the election.

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