Libya bans parties based on faith or ethnicity.

As with the situation in Egypt the NTC faces a chaotic situation with many new parties being formed and no agreed consitution which still has to be created. The major loosers are considered to me the Muslim Brotherhood and other islamist parties.NTC spokesman Mohamed al-Hareizi said that "Parties shouldn't be based on ethnic or religious ideologies," he said. "We don't want the government to be divided by these ideological differences."

"This is not democracy," said Mohamed Gaira, spokesman for the Freedom and Development party (FDP) which was founded by the Muslim Brotherhood. "We don't understand this law ... It could mean nothing, or it could mean that none of us can participate in the election,'' he added."We are a nationalist party and Islam is our religion. This law is unacceptable and only suits  liberals."Mohamed Sawan, the head of the Freedom and Development Party called for clarification as the majority of the Libyan population of six million are sunni muslims. He threatened protests if the law was not changed."This kind of clause is only useful in countries where there exists many religions, not in Libya where most people are religious Muslims," Mohammed Sawan told Reuters.

The law is clearly an attempt to bring order to a situation where many parties are being formed. The Muslim Brotherhood is said to be the most organised political group in Libya.

Libya's situation is complicated by militias who are still fighting each other and calls for the autonomy of some regions which the NTC has rejected.