Libya’s parliament on Tuesday ousted its longtime speaker after 12 years in office, removing a prominent ally of eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar in a move analysts said could alter the country’s political balance.
Lawmakers voted to replace Aguila Saleh with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi, the parliament’s spokesman said on X.
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Libya has endured violence and political instability since the 2011 overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi. The country remains split between the U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli, headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east supported by Haftar.
Haftar’s political camp depends heavily on the parliament, which is based in the eastern city of Benghazi, an area under his forces’ control.
Saleh, 82, was regarded for years as a firm ally of the Haftar family. But his influence appeared to wane as Haftar’s sons — particularly Saddam Haftar — strengthened their own positions.
“Aguila Saleh appears to be the latest casualty of Saddam Haftar’s drive to centralize decision-making in eastern Libya and bulldoze his way into a political role,” said Emadeddin Badi, an analyst at the London-based Chatham House.
The speaker’s removal comes as the United States pursues an initiative intended to revive Libya’s stalled political process and reunify its divided institutions.
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