Congressional Products | March 9th, 2022


Fast Facts

Libya Swears in New Government​

In a post-civil war climate, Libya is working to integrate democratic procedures into its new political structure. However, conflict over governing authority persists and, as of last week, two separate governments claim sovereignty over the Libyan political sphere.

 

Conflict Over Governing Authority in Libya: 

  • On February 10, Libya’s House of Representatives in Tobruk appointed Fathi Bashagha as prime minister due to incumbent Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah’s failure to perform national elections in December 2021.
    •  Dbeibah refuses to step down from his position as prime minister. 
  • On March 1, Libyan Prime Minister-designate Bashagha submitted his cabinet, which was sworn in 2 days later on March 3.
    • According to the United Nations, this process “fell short of expected standards” regarding appropriate procedure and transparency. 
  • Although Bashagha assured that “there will be no use of force, neither by us nor the existing government,” many are concerned that without consensus on ruling authority in Libya, violent conflict could re-emerge.

Background of Libya's Political Crisis:

  • Muammar Gaddafi served as Libya’s de-facto ruler from 1969-2011, when he was ousted from power as a result of the NATO-backed Arab Spring movement in Libya. 
  • From 2014 to 2020, a civil war emerged in Libya, as various groups fought for political control. However, the UN-backed Government of National Accord based in Tripoli and the Libyan National Army (LNA) based in Tobruk served as the main players in the conflict. 
  • On October 23, 2020, both parties signed a ceasefire. 
  • In March of 2021, a UN-backed peace process established the Government of National Unity, allowing the Libyan National Army and the Government of National Accord to share governing power.
    • Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah was instituted as prime minister. 
  • In an effort to install an official direct election system, Libya’s parliament issued a new Presidential Elections Law in September of 2021. The law categorized the upcoming presidential elections as a direct election with a winner-take-all system and scheduled voting for December 24, 2021. 
  • On December 22, the Libyan parliamentary committee’s chairman alerted the head of parliament that “[a]fter consulting the technical, judicial, and security reports, we inform you of the impossibility of holding the elections on the date of 24 December 2021 provided for by the electoral law.”