Gadhafi officials banned from holding office

Lawmakers in Libya have passed a law banning senior Gadhafi government officials from holding official posts.

The move comes after a week of rising tensions in Tripoli as heavily armed protesters surrounded the Foreign and Justice ministries demanding that the legislature pass the law.

The law is expected to exclude current senior officials such as the head of Libya's parliament - the General National Congress, Mohamed al-Magariaf, who served as Ambassador to India in the 1970s before he joined the exiled opposition to the Gadhafi government.

It remains unclear if Prime Minister Ali Zaidan, who was a diplomat in India around the same time, would be affected by the ban.

The law, which would be implemented by a committee that would decide whether officials fall under the exclusion criteria, goes into effect in 30 days.

Soon after the law was passed, Libyans broke into cheers as hundreds congregated outside the GNC, celebrating what many described as a victory. Celebratory gunfire rang across many areas of Tripoli as people drove around the city honking their horns and chanting in celebration.

Outside the Justice Ministry, armed protesters played music and danced as they prepared to sacrifice a camel, a Libyan tradition.

In March, armed protesters surrounded the GNC for several hours in an attempt to force lawmakers to pass the law. They later opened fire on the car of Magariaf, who escaped unharmed.