Second Deputy:
37-448: Justice and Construction (17) National Front (3) Union for the Homeland (2) National Centrist (2) Wadi Al-Hayah (2) Other parties/blocs (15) [REDACTED] Member State of the Arab League The General National Congress or General National Council ( GNC ; Arabic : المؤتمر الوطني العام ) was the legislative authority of Libya for two years following
74-575: A moderate Islamist and pro-business politician, Ahmed Maiteeq , as prime minister. The Brotherhood is continuing to consolidate its power; by backing a Berber as president, the JCP has gained stronger support from Libya's ethnic minorities. The Libyan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1949; however, it did not operate openly until after the Libyan Civil War . A public conference
111-474: A new House of Representatives , which took power and replaced it on 4 August 2014. A non-reelected minority of former GNC members, supported by the LROR and Central Shield armed groups, met on 25 August 2014 and declared a National Salvation Government . They elected Omar al-Hasi as prime minister. From August 2014, GNC is no longer internationally recognized as the legitimate parliament of Libya. On 5 April 2016,
148-579: Is a political party in Libya associated with the Muslim Brotherhood . It was officially founded on 3 March 2012 in Tripoli . Emad al-Banani of Misrata is the head of the party, and Mohamed Gaair is its spokesman . While it finished second in the election of 2014, it is believed to have attracted enough independents to have become the majority, and infighting in the National Forces Alliance has allowed
185-575: The 2012 Libyan General National Congress election , receiving 10% of the vote and winning 17 of the 80 party-list seats. It placed second behind the National Forces Alliance . Furthermore, 17 of the 120 independents in the congress who were associated with the party were elected. In 2014, the Justice and Construction Party announced that it was withdrawing from government in Libya after failing to secure enough votes to unseat Prime Minister Ali Zeidan . All five of
222-626: 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 and Ubari were expelled, along with all the independents from Ghat and Bani Walid , two representatives of local lists from Ubari and Wadi al-Shate’ , and two NFA deputies from Zliten and Abu Salim. By March 2013 one expelled member from Bayda had been replaced; all other seats remained vacant. The Congress
259-508: The 2014 Libyan Conflict and founder of the LROR group which is considered "terrorist" by the internationally recognized Libyan parliament . He is reported to have rigged proceedings of the General National Congress while serving as its president. He was originally elected to the GNC as member for Zuwarah . He had some support from the Muslim Brotherhood , but stood as an independent candidate. He has denied strong links with
296-694: The National Transitional Council 's interim government, which promoted sharia law as the foundation for new Libyan legislation. The party has also called for a nationally united government to end sectarianism and further conflict through civil dialogue in post-revolutionary Libya. A 2014 article by Foreign Policy described the JCP as a "party bruised" and noted that the Muslim Brotherhood's local Libyan party had not garnered high levels of public support. In November 2016, former prime minister Khalifa al-Ghawil stated in an interview that
333-697: 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 . Justice and Construction Party The Justice and Construction Party (JCP) or Justice and Development Party ( Arabic : حزب العدالة والبناء , Hizb Al-Adala Wal-Bina )
370-534: The Brotherhood's political arm to gradually consolidate control over Libya. The party backed the election of Nouri Abusahmain , a Berber and moderate Islamist , over the secular candidates, who were defeated. This gave the Brotherhood a strong position so that once Ali Zeidan was ousted from politics over his mishandling of Morning Glory oil shipments, the Brotherhood had a speaker-president, Abusahmain, with so much authority that they could eventually appoint
407-556: The Defense and National Security Committee of the HoR. Multiple Muslim Brotherhood members were named in the list, including executive member Nizar Kiwan; major donor Abdulrazaq al-Aradi and Ali Salabi, who was called "the man considered to the ideological brains of the Muslim Brotherhood" by the Libya Herald . In response the JCP deemed the list defamation. In July 2013, angry protesters stormed
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#1732856168014444-549: The GNC and subsequent to GNC's decision to enforce sharia law in December 2013, gender segregation and compulsory hijab were being imposed in Libyan universities from early 2014, provoking strong criticism from Women's Rights groups. He played a part in the constitutional crisis which emerged when Islamist Ahmed Maiteeq was supposedly elected prime minister in a GNC session in April 2014 which
481-676: The GNC announced its own dissolution and has been replaced by the High Council of State . In a ceremony on 8 August 2012, the National Transitional Council formally transferred power to the General National Congress. Mustafa Abdul Jalil stepped down as head of state, passing the position to the GNC's oldest member, Mohammed Ali Salim . The NTC was then dissolved, while the GNC members took their oaths of office, led by Salim. Hundreds of people gathered in Tripoli 's Martyrs' Square with candles symbolizing reconciliation. The date of
518-491: 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 used two armed groups, the LROR and Central Shield , to take control of the capital Tripoli . In late August, Islamist militias abducted rivals (whose whereabouts are unknown) and attacked 280 homes. Having suppressed dissent,
555-516: The General National Congress elected former GNC member and human rights lawyer Ali Zeidan as prime minister-designate. Zeidan was sworn in after his cabinet was approved by the GNC. On 9 August 2012, Congress members voted in a televised meeting for a president for the GNC. Mohamed Yousef el-Magariaf , leader of the National Front Party , won with 113 votes versus independent Ali Zeidan who secured 85 votes. From 1981 until 2011, el-Magariaf
592-540: 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
629-570: 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
666-568: 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 and appointed Omar al-Hasi then Khalifa al-Ghawi as prime ministers of the National Salvation Government . Members of the House of Representatives and the General National Congress signed a United Nations supported political agreement on 17 December 2015. Under
703-453: The JCP was ruining the country. He had made similar statements before, ultimately claiming that the Muslim Brotherhood had an "agenda that was against the interests of Libyans". In June 2017, the Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) composed a list of terrorists inside Libya with links to Qatar , a widely purported sponsor of terrorism . The list was signed by Talal Almaihub, chairman of
740-596: The Muslim Brotherhood. In 2013, he was the Islamist candidate for president of the Libyan General National Congress , but was considered a compromise candidate acceptable to more liberal members of the congress. As a result, he became GNC president on 25 June 2013. He had the support of the Muslim Brotherhood 's party, the Justice and Construction Party , in his election. On becoming GNC president, Abusahmain
777-570: The State Council, as envisaged by the LPA. The General National Congress was composed of 200 members of which 80 were elected through a party list system of proportional representation in 20 districts, ranging from 11 seats to 3 seats in each, and 120 were elected as independents in 69 multiple-member districts, ranging in size from nine seats to 1 seat in each, elected through Single non-transferable voting or First-past-the-post voting . The election
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#1732856168014814-439: 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 in 2016) Libyan parliament, the House of Representatives. The GNC is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood 's Libyan party, the Justice and Construction Party . Re-elected members from the Islamist bloc had chosen to continue to sit in
851-486: The civil war and wealthy Libyan expatriates who returned after the war. According to Al Jazeera , the JCP was the country's most organised political force even at the time of its founding, similar to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood , which won a plurality in the 2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary elections after its own revolution, which ousted Hosni Mubarak from power. Justice and Construction competed in
888-498: The end of the First Libyan Civil War . It was elected by popular vote on 7 July 2012, and took power from the National Transitional Council on 8 August. Tasked primarily with transitioning Libya to a permanent democratic constitution, it was given an 18-month deadline to fulfill this goal. When the deadline passed with work on the new constitution only just having gotten underway, Congress was forced to organise elections to
925-424: The lack of electoral laws governing the foundation of political parties to run in elections. It was launched in Tripoli at a convention attended by 1,400 representatives, many of whom were previously jailed or exiled, from 18 cities. Former political prisoner Mohamed Sowan of Misrata was chosen as the inaugural head of the party. Amongst the party's other original representatives were several more rebel leaders from
962-418: The party's ministers resigned as a result of the futile effort. The Muslim Brotherhood's spokesman Mohamed Gaair stated that the party would seek "to work on security and stability. We are still a new founded party, but we will work on the basis of Islamic principles and that doesn't mean the shallow meaning of religion most people think of like banning women from leaving home." This followed an announcement by
999-401: The party's offices in Tripoli following the assassination of prominent Libyan political activist Abdelsalam al-Mismari, who was purportedly killed by the Brotherhood. Mismari was one of the original activists who helped drive a movement to overthrow Gaddafi and had been highly critical of the Muslim Brotherhood's affiliate party in Libya thereafter. Agence France-Presse interviewed one of
1036-463: The protesters, who proclaimed, "We want all political parties to be dissolved. ... They're the cause of all our problems. First we need a constitution, then laws regulating political life before parties can begin operating [again]." Nouri Abusahmain Nouri Abusahmain ( Arabic : نوري أبو سهمين ; born October 25, 1956 ) is a Libyan politician. He is a major figure on the Islamist side of
1073-554: The terms of the agreement, a nine-member Presidency Council and a seventeen-member interim Government of National Accord would be formed, with a view to holding new elections within two years. The House of Representatives would continue to exist as a legislature and an advisory body, to be known as the State Council , will be formed with members nominated by the New General National Congress. The Prime Minister of
1110-535: The transfer – 20 Ramadan on the Islamic calendar – 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 " or "The blood of the martyrs will not be wasted!" According to BBC News ,
1147-404: The transfer was "the first peaceful transition of power in Libya's modern history". In 2014, elections to a new House of Representatives were held. However, politicians from the blocs that lost the elections continued to convene as the General National Congress, claiming that the GNC was the legitimate parliament of Libya. However, its members did not represent a majority of the membership of
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1184-460: Was complicated by voters in 53 of the constituencies being able to cast one vote for local member and also to cast a party vote for the proportional representation portion, and by the use of quota to ensure seats for women candidates in the proportional representation portion. It is estimated that 25 independents were associated with the NFA, 17 with Justice and Construction, and 23 were Salafis. Following
1221-561: Was exiled from Libya, and led the NFP's predecessor organisation—called the National Front for the Salvation of Libya —for almost 20 years. 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 compound. As an interim measure, the General National Congress convened in
1258-558: Was held for the first time in Libya on 17 November 2011 and attended by Libyan Muslim Brotherhood leader Suleiman Abdelkader and Tunisian politician Rashid Ghannouchi . On 24 December 2011, the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood announced its intent to form a political party to contest the Public National Conference election scheduled for June 2012. The official founding of the party was declared on 3 March 2012 despite
1295-477: Was intimidated by armed Islamist militants bursting into parliament. Although the Deputy Speaker, Justice Ministry, Supreme Court and opposition parties rejected the proceedings as illegal, Abusahmain signed a decree confirming Maiteeq According to supporters of the eastern government, his term ended when the new House of Representatives was established on 4 August 2014. He was succeeded by Abu Bakr Baira ,
1332-466: Was tasked with electing a new Prime Minister and governing cabinet . 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,
1369-548: Was the first Libyan Berber to attain a national leadership role since the Tripolitanian Republic of 1918–22. Abusahmain immediately set up an Islamist armed group, the LROR , which attempted an Islamist coup in October 2013. He suppressed debates and inquiries which the Islamist part of the GNC did not want, including a debate over his alleged illegal diversion of money towards the LROR . During Abusahmain's presidency of
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