The General National Congress or General National Council
(GNC; ar, المؤتمر الوطني العام,
Berber: Agraw Amuran Amatay) was the
legislative authority of
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
for two years following the end of the
First Libyan Civil War
The First Libyan Civil War was an armed conflict in 2011 in the North African country of Libya that was fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and rebel groups that were seeking to oust his government. It erupted with the Libya ...
. It was elected by popular vote on 7 July 2012, and took power from the
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya ( ar, المجلس الوطني الإنتقالي '), sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, was the ''de facto'' government of Libya for a period during and after the Libyan Civil War ...
on 8 August.
Tasked primarily with transitioning Libya to a permanent democratic constitution, it was given an 18-month deadline to fulfil this goal. When the deadline passed with work on the new constitution only just getting underway, Congress was forced to organise elections to a new
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, which took power and replaced it on 4 August 2014.
A non-reelected minority of former GNC members, supported by the
LROR
The Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (abbreviated LROR; ar, غرفة عمليات ثوار ليبيا) is an armed group loyal to Nouri Abusahmain. It has been declared a terrorist organization by the Libyan parliament. It was heavily invol ...
and
Central Shield armed groups, met on 25 August 2014 and declared a
National Salvation Government
The National Salvation Government ( ar, حكومة الإنقاذ الوطني) was a government body formed by politicians from the General National Congress's blocs that lost the June 2014 elections in Libya. The NSG was led by Khalifa al-G ...
. They elected Omar al-Hasi as prime minister. From August 2014, GNC is no longer internationally recognized as the legitimate parliament of Libya.
On 1 April 2016, the GNC announced its own dissolution and has been replaced by the
High Council of State.
History
Inauguration
In a ceremony on 8 August 2012, the
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya ( ar, المجلس الوطني الإنتقالي '), sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, was the ''de facto'' government of Libya for a period during and after the Libyan Civil War ...
formally transferred power to the General National Congress.
Mustafa Abdul Jalil
Mustafa Abdul Jalil ( ar, مصطفى عبد الجليل; also transcribed ''Abdul-Jelil, Abd-al-Jalil'', ''Abdel-Jalil'', ''Abdeljalil'' or ''Abdu Al Jeleil''; born 1952) is a Libyan politician who was the Chairman of the National Transitional ...
stepped down as head of state, passing the position to the GNC's oldest member,
Mohammed Ali Salim
Mohammed Ali Salim is a Libyan politician who was the Acting Chairman of the General National Congress of Libya, a role he held as the oldest member of Libya's first democratically elected legislature until Mohamed Yousef el-Magariaf
Mohammed ...
.
The NTC was then dissolved, while the GNC members took their oaths of office, led by Salim.
Hundreds of people gathered in
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
's
Martyrs' Square with candles symbolizing reconciliation.
The date of the transfer –
20 Ramadan on the
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar ( ar, ٱلتَّقْوِيم ٱلْهِجْرِيّ, translit=al-taqwīm al-hijrī), also known in English as the Muslim calendar and Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or ...
– had also been selected for symbolic reasons; as 20 Ramadan the previous year had fallen on 20 August, the date that the
National Liberation Army attacked Tripoli, leading to Gaddafi's flight.
As Jalil addressed the crowd, attendees periodically chanted "
Allāhu Akbar
The Takbir ( ar, تَكْبِير, , "magnification f God
F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''.
His ...
) is the name for the Arabic language, Arabic phrase ' (, ), meaning "God is the greatest".
It is a common Arabic expression, used in various contexts by Muslims and Arabs around the wo ...
" or "The blood of
the martyrs will not be wasted!"
According to
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, the transfer was "the first
peaceful transition of power
A peaceful transition or transfer of power is a concept important to democratic governments in which the leadership of a government peacefully hands over control of government to a newly-elected leadership. This may be after elections or during t ...
in Libya's modern history".
Post-2014 elections
In 2014,
elections
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...
to a new
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
were held. However, politicians from the blocs that lost the elections continued to convene as the General National Congress, claiming that the GNC is the legitimate parliament of Libya. However, its members do not represent a majority of the membership of the body, as the majority of the GNC members belonged to groups now participating in the internationally recognized (until the establishment of an internationally-backed
Government of National Accord
The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. Th ...
in 2016) Libyan parliament, the House of Representatives. The GNC is dominated by the
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...
's Libyan party, the
Justice and Construction Party
The Justice and Construction Party (JCP) or Justice and Development Party ( ar, حزب العدالة والبناء, ') is a political party in Libya associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. It was officially founded on 3 March 2012 in Tripol ...
.
Re-elected members from the Islamist bloc had chosen to continue to sit in the GNC, instead of the House of Representatives where they would be in a reduced minority.
After their landslide defeat in the 2014 elections, Islamist parties acting under the leadership of
Nouri Abusahmain
Nouri Abusahmain ( ar, نوري أبو سهمين; born October 25, 1956) is a Libyan politician. He is a major figure on the Islamist side of the 2014 Libyan Conflict and founder of the LROR group which is considered "terrorist" by the intern ...
used two armed groups, the
LROR
The Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (abbreviated LROR; ar, غرفة عمليات ثوار ليبيا) is an armed group loyal to Nouri Abusahmain. It has been declared a terrorist organization by the Libyan parliament. It was heavily invol ...
and
Central Shield, to take control of the capital
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
. In late August, Islamist militias abducted rivals (whose whereabouts is unknown) and attacked 280 homes. Having suppressed dissent, the Islamist groups declared that they were the General National Congress and that it was once again the national parliament.
The GNC continued to be led by
Nouri Abusahmain
Nouri Abusahmain ( ar, نوري أبو سهمين; born October 25, 1956) is a Libyan politician. He is a major figure on the Islamist side of the 2014 Libyan Conflict and founder of the LROR group which is considered "terrorist" by the intern ...
and appointed
Omar al-Hasi
Omar al-Hassi ( ar, عمر الحاسي) (born March 30, 1959 in University of Benghazi, Benghazi, Libya) is a professor of political science at University of Benghazi in Libyan politician. He was the prime minister of the General National Congres ...
then
Khalifa al-Ghawi as prime ministers of the
National Salvation Government
The National Salvation Government ( ar, حكومة الإنقاذ الوطني) was a government body formed by politicians from the General National Congress's blocs that lost the June 2014 elections in Libya. The NSG was led by Khalifa al-G ...
.
Dissolution
Members of the House of Representatives and the General National Congress signed a United Nations supported political agreement on 17 December 2015.
Under the terms of the agreement, a nine-member
Presidency Council and a seventeen-member interim
Government of National Accord
The Government of National Accord ( ar, حكومة الوفاق الوطني) was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. Th ...
would be formed, with a view to holding new elections within two years.
The
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
would continue to exist as a legislature and an advisory body, to be known as the
State Council State Council may refer to:
Government
* State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President
* State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...
, will be formed with members nominated by the New General National Congress.
The Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA), Fayez al-Sarraj, arrived in Tripoli on 30 March 2016. The following day, it was reported that the GNA has taken control of the prime ministerial offices and that the GNC appointed Prime Minister Khalifa al-Ghawi had fled to Misrata. On 1 April 2016, the head of the media bureau of the National Salvation Government announced that the NSG has resigned and handed its authority back to the General National Congress.
Media reports have also claimed that the General National Congress had "virtually disintegrated".
On April 5, the National Salvation Government of the General National Congress announced that it was resigning, "ceasing operations" and ceding power to the Presidential Council.
Following the dissolution of the GNC, former members of that body declared the establishment of the State Council, as envisaged by the LPA.
Composition
The General National Congress was composed of 200 members of which 80 were elected through a
party list
An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election, usually found in proportional or mixed electoral systems, but also in some plurality electoral systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party (a party list) or can ...
system of
proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
, and 120 were elected as
independents in
multiple-member districts.
It is estimated that 25 independents were associated with the NFA, 17 with Justice and Construction, and 23 were Salafis.
Following the
2012 elections, an
Integrity Commission was set up to exclude and remove Gaddafi-era officials from politics. The commission removed 15 members of the GNC. Independent members from
Bayda, Baten al-Jabal,
Abu Salim, Hay al-Andalus,
Sabha,
Tarhuna
Tarhuna (; ar, ترهونة), also Tarhoona or Tarhunah, is a Libyan town to the southeast of Tripoli, in the Murqub District. The city derives its name from that of its pre- Roman-era inhabitants, a Berber tribe. The city was known as al-Bo ...
and
Ubari
Ubari or Awbari (Berber language: Ubari or Awbari; ar, أوباري, ‘Awbārī) is a Tuareg Berber–speaking oasis town and the capital of the Wadi al Hayaa District, in the Fezzan region of southwestern Libya. It is in the Idehan Ubari, a L ...
were expelled, along with all the independents from
Ghat
Ghat, a term used in the Indian subcontinent, depending on the context could refer either to a range of stepped hills with valleys (ghati in Hindi), such as the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats; or the series of steps leading down to a body of ...
and
Bani Walid, two representatives of local lists from Ubari and
Wadi al-Shate’, and two NFA deputies from
Zliten
Zliten ( ar, زليتن, Zlīten) is a city in Murqub District of Libya. It is located 160 km to the east of Tripoli.
Location
The name Zliten is given to both the city and the whole area. As a city, Zliten is situated east of the capital, ...
and Abu Salim. By March 2013 one expelled member from Bayda had been replaced; all other seats remained vacant.
The Congress was tasked with electing a new
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
and governing
cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
. Among the rules approved by the GNC on the election of the Prime Minister was a prohibition on Prime Ministers and cabinet ministers being GNC members simultaneously.
The Congress selected
Mustafa Abushagur as Prime Minister on 12 September 2012,
he subsequently resigned after failing to get a cabinet approved. On 14 October 2012, the General National Congress elected former GNC member and human rights lawyer
Ali Zeidan
Ali Zeidan (sometimes written as Zidan; ar, علي زيدان; born 15 December 1950) is a former Prime Minister of Libya. He was appointed by the General National Congress on 14 October 2012, and took office on 14 November after Congress approv ...
as prime minister-designate. Zeidan was sworn in after his cabinet was approved by the GNC.
Seats by party
Leadership
On 9 August 2012, Congress members voted in a televised meeting for a president for the GNC.
Mohamed Yousef el-Magariaf
Mohammed Yousef el-Magariaf (also written as Magariaf, Elmegaryaf or Almegaryaf) or, as he writes on his official website, Dr. Mohamed Yusuf Al Magariaf ( ar, محمد يوسف المقريف; born 1940), is a Libyan politician who served as the P ...
, leader of the
National Front Party, won with 113 votes versus independent
Ali Zeidan
Ali Zeidan (sometimes written as Zidan; ar, علي زيدان; born 15 December 1950) is a former Prime Minister of Libya. He was appointed by the General National Congress on 14 October 2012, and took office on 14 November after Congress approv ...
who secured 85 votes. From 1981 until 2011, el-Magariaf was exiled from Libya,
and led the NFP's predecessor organisation—called the
National Front for the Salvation of Libya
The National Front for the Salvation of Libya (NFSL) was a political opposition group active during the rule of the Gaddafi regime in Libya. It was formed in 1981 and called for major liberalising reforms such as democratic elections, a free p ...
—for almost 20 years.
Location
The permanent location of Libya's legislature has not yet been decided, but it has been proposed that a new parliament building could be built within the former
Bab al-Azizia
Bab al-Azizia (, , ) is a military barracks and compound situated in the southern suburbs of Tripoli, the capital of Libya. It served as the main base for the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi until its capture by anti-Gaddafi forces on 23 August 20 ...
compound. As an interim measure, the General National Congress convened in the Al Nasr Convention Centre close to the
Rixos Al Nasr hotel in Tripoli. Libya's former legislature, the
General People's Congress, met at the
People's Hall which had been destroyed by fire during the
Libyan Civil War
Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...
.
References
External links
*
{{National unicameral legislatures
Government of Libya
Politics of Libya
Political organizations based in Libya
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
2012 establishments in Libya