Seats 200 Founded 4 August 2014 | Last election 25 June 2014 Seat 200 | |
 | ||
Chairman Aguila Saleh Issa, Independent
Since 5 August 2014 Vice-Chairs Imhemed Shaib
Ahmed Huma
Since 5 August 2014 Voting system Parallel voting; 40 seats through first-past-the-post in single-member constituencies, 80 seats through single non-transferable vote in 29 multi-member constituencies, and 80 seats through proportional representation | ||
The House of Representatives (Arabic: مجلس النواب, Majlis al-Nuwaab, literally Council of Deputies) is the legislative body for Libya.
Contents
Formation
It took power on 4 August 2014, following an election on 25 June 2014, replacing the General National Congress. Turnout at the election was 18%, down from 60% in the first post-Gaddafi election of July 2012. Because of security concerns no voting took place in some locations.
The current chairman is Aguila Saleh Issa. The current deputy presidents of the Council of Deputies are Imhemed Shaib and Ahmed Huma.
The Tripoli-based Libyan Supreme Constitutional Court ruled on 6 November 2014 that the June elections were unconstitutional and that the House of Representatives should be dissolved while it was surrounded by armed militias. The House of Representatives rejected the ruling, saying it was made "at gunpoint".
In late 2014, a rival parliament in Tripoli was proclaimed called the New General National Congress. The House of Representatives did not recognize the new GNC, and voted on 6 October 2015, 112 out of 131, "to extend its term beyond 20 October", given the inability to hold elections.
Government of National Accord
In October 2015, the UN envoy for Libya, Bernardino León, announced a proposal for the House of Representatives to share power with the rival Islamist-led new GNC government, under a compromise prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj. However, the terms of the final proposal were not acceptable to either side, and both rejected it. Nonetheless, the proposal did spark a revised proposal put together by Fayez al-Sarraj and others, which was subsequently supported by the United Nations. On 17 December 2015 members of the House of Representatives and the new General National Congress signed this revised political agreement, generally known as the "Libyan Political Agreement" or the "Skhirat Agreement". Under 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 High Council of State, will be formed with members nominated by the New General National Congress. On 31 December 2015, Chairman of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh Issa declared his support for the Libyan Political Agreement.
As of April 2016, the Libyan National Elections Commission was still considering its recommendations on legislation to implement the next election of the House of Representatives.
Location
Following the occupation of Tripoli by armed Islamist groups during the Second Libyan Civil War, the House of Representatives relocated to Tobruk in the far east of the country. Since there was not enough housing for them, they initially hired a car ferry from a Greek shipping company, the Elyros of ANEK Lines, for members to live and meet in. Later the House relocated to the Dar al-Salam Hotel in Tobruk.