TRIPOLI, Libya, May 29 (UPI) -- The chairman of the Libyan General National Congress announced he has resigned to comply with a political ban on former regime officials.
Libyan lawmakers passed legislation that bars people who served in the government of Moammar Gadhafi from holding political office. Gadhafi served as Libyan leader from 1969 to 2011, when he died after falling into rebel hands.
The law was criticized for being too broad. The measure passed after gunmen seized several buildings housing government ministries.
GNC Chairman Mohammad al-Magarief said he resigned to comply with the "political isolation law," the BBC reports.
Magarief served as Libyan ambassador to India in the 1980s before breaking away from the Gadhafi government.
British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said in a statement from his Twitter account that Magarief was a long-time advocate for Libyan democracy.
"Libya's democratic transition must continue," he said.
The British Embassy in Tripoli evacuated a small number of staff because of political and security concerns in early May.
The embassy remained opened. The British government, however, said it was advising against all but essential travel to Tripoli and other major metropolitan areas because of lingering tensions.
