The Libyan opposition fighting to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi will on Saturday gather in secret for the first formal meeting of their self-declared national council, a spokesman said.

"The national council's first formal meeting is starting this morning," Mustafa Gheriani told AFP, but did not disclose a time or place."It's a safety issue. This guy (Gaddafi) still assassinates people."

Former justice minister Mustafa Abdel Jalil, one of the first high-proile Libyans to defect from Gaddafi's four-decade regime when the uprising began more than two weeks ago, has been appointed chairman of the 30-member body.

Rebels say they have set up local councils in cities they control in the east and intend their transitional government to lead the country into an election, although Gaddafi is still firmly in control of the capital Tripoli.

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