It has been another eventful week in Libya. The government had barely shrugged off an ill-conceived intervention by the army when the country’s various heavily-armed militia once more waded into Libyan politics.

Incensed that the country’s ‘interim’ post Qadhafi-parliament, the General National Congress (GNC), extended its mandate until the end of the year after failing to push through a constitution within its 18-month tenure, the powerful Misratan militia on 18 February issued an ultimatum for the GNC to dissolve within five hours. Any lawmaker still in parliament after the deadline would be seized, the militia warned. (CONTINUED - 2046 WORDS)