HoR permanent move to Benghazi to be discussed at next sitting

By Sami Zaptia.

London, 16 May 2018:

House of Representatives (HoR) head, Ageela Saleh, has welcomed the call by a number of HoR members for the transfer of the HoR to the city of Benghazi. Saleh revealed that the possible transfer of Libya’s only internationally recognized parliament to Benghazi would be discussed at the next sitting of the HoR on Tuesday (22 May).

In a statement released yesterday, Saleh reconfirmed that the rightful and legal location for the HoR is Benghazi, as was prescribed by the Constitutional Declaration.

Saleh acknowledged the historical role that the city of Tobruk has played in hosting the HoR since 2014 at a pivotal time of Libya’s politics and history.

Saleh also used the statement to officially call upon all HoR members to attend a meeting of parliament in Tobruk next Tuesday.

It will be recalled that after the results of the 2014 elections, the HoR was supposed to be located in the city of Benghazi. However, poor security in the city at the time meant that it was not possible to locate there.

The HoR was then in the process of deciding to hold its sessions in the capital Tripoli when the militia coup. backed by remnants of the outgoing General National Congress (GNC). forced it to seek a third location. The city of Tobruk was eventually chosen due to its favourable political climate and its security.

It will also be recalled that there is a broad domestic and international call for the holding of Libyan elections ‘‘before the end of 2018’’. This call is supported domestically by the Faiez Serraj-led Presidency Council, the House of Representatives, Khalifa Hafter and most political streams.

Internationally, it is called for by Ghassan Salame of the UN and all the major international states, including the US and the EU.

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