Editing Tripoli, Libya (section)

==Law and government==
Tripoli and its surrounding suburbs all lie within the [[Tarabulus District|Tripoli sha'biyah]] (district). In accordance with Libya's former [[Jamahiriya]] political system, Tripoli comprises Local People's Congresses where, in theory, the city's population discuss different matters and elect their own people's committee; at present{{when|date=August 2011}} there are 29 Local People's Congresses. In reality, the former revolutionary committees severely limited the democratic process by closely supervising committee and congress elections at the branch and district levels of governments, Tripoli being no exception.

Tripoli is sometimes referred to as "the [[de jure]] capital of Libya" because none of the country's ministries are actually located in the capital. Even the former National General People's Congress was held annually in the city of [[Sirte]] rather than in Tripoli. As part of a radical [[decentralization]] program undertaken by [[Muammar Gaddafi|Gaddafi]] in September 1988, all General People's Committee secretariats ([[Ministry (government department)|ministries]]), except those responsible for foreign liaison ([[foreign policy]] and [[international relations]]) and information, were moved outside Tripoli. According to diplomatic sources, the former Secretariat for Economy and Trade was moved to [[Benghazi]]; the Secretariat for Health to [[Kufra]]; and the remainder, excepting one, to Sirte, [[Muammar Gaddafi]]'s birthplace. In early 1993 it was announced that the Secretariat for Foreign Liaison and International Co-operation was to be moved to [[Ra's Lanuf]]. In October 2011, Libya fell to The [[National Transitional Council]] (N.T.C.), which took full control, abolishing the Gaddafi-era system of national and local government.