Libya parliament replaces longtime speaker Aguila Saleh after 12 years

Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives has elected a new speaker, ending Aguila Saleh's 12-year tenure at the head of the chamber. Lawmakers voted on Tuesday to replace him with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi, according to the parliament's spokesperson. The move marks a significant leadership change inside one of Libya's main eastern institutions.

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The vote came one day after 98 members of the 170-seat House approved a new system limiting the speaker and deputy speakers to a single 12-month term. That change replaced an arrangement that had been in place since the chamber first chose its leadership in 2014. A lawmaker, Jebree Oheida, said there had been significant discontent among members over the previous leadership, including decisions taken without consulting MPs.

The session was overseen by Second Deputy Speaker Misbah Douma, according to the Libya Observer. Saleh had rejected the proceedings, saying the initial vote to limit the speaker's term was not official and had no legal effect. He also said he had cancelled the session he had called for Tuesday.

The House also elected Tarek al-Ashtar and Mesbah Douma as first and second deputy speakers, according to the same reporting. The change matters because the House of Representatives remains a central institution in Libya's divided political system. The country is still split between the United Nations-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and a rival eastern administration backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.

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The eastern parliament sits in Benghazi and has long been an important pillar of Haftar's camp. Saleh has been widely seen as a long-time ally of the Haftar family, but analysts said his position had weakened as Haftar's sons, especially Saddam Haftar, gained influence. Emadeddin Badi, an analyst at Chatham House, said Saleh appeared to be the latest casualty of Saddam Haftar's effort to centralise decision-making in eastern Libya and expand his political role.

Al-Obeidi, who comes from the same tribe as Saleh, represents the eastern city of Tobruk and has chaired the parliament's Libyan-Turkish friendship committee. What remains unclear is how far the leadership change will alter the balance of power inside the eastern camp, or whether Saleh's rejection of the process will lead to further dispute over the legality of the vote. The immediate next step will be whether the new speaker and deputy speakers can consolidate authority in the chamber.

The development also raises questions about whether the change will affect relations between eastern political figures and the military network around Haftar.

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