Government

Libya, professes to have a government in which the people rule directly, has no formal constitution. The highest official organ is the General People's Congress, consisting of some 2,700 representatives from local peoples' committees. In practice, Libya is a military regime, with power vested in the revolutionary leader, Muammar al-Qaddafi, who holds no official title but is the de facto head of state. The head of government is the secretary of the General People's Committee (the cabinet). Administratively, the country is divided into 25 municipalities.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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