Libya’s Parliament Speaker Demands New Government to Break Stalemate
Libya’s political chessboard saw another bold move on Tuesday as Aguila Saleh, speaker of the eastern-based parliament, called for the formation of a new unified government—one that notably does not include the current prime minister in Tripoli. In a fiery speech before lawmakers in Benghazi, Saleh insisted that Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah step down “voluntarily or by force,” arguing that real elections can only happen under a single administration accepted by all Libyans.
“The solution to the Libyan crisis lies in holding elections, but this requires a single, unified government accepted by all,” Saleh declared, urging the international community and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya to get on board. He also announced that parliament would soon meet to choose a new prime minister—an invitation extended to diplomats, UN officials, and civil society observers alike.
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Tripoli’s Government of National Unity (GNU) didn’t take kindly to the challenge. The Dbeibah-led government, already on shaky ground after recent armed clashes in the capital, quickly pushed back, rejecting any notion of surrendering power without a legitimate electoral outcome.
Libya has been caught in a tug-of-war between east and west since 2014, with multiple failed attempts to bridge the divide. The 2021 UN-backed elections were shelved over legal and political squabbles, leaving the GNU in charge far beyond its original mandate. Eastern factions, meanwhile, are tired of waiting—and want to reshuffle the deck.
Whether this latest maneuver leads to unity or deepens the fracture remains to be seen.
