The Speaker of the Libyan Parliament, Ageela Saleh, confirmed that he would not recognize any decisions taken outside the Parliament’s official headquarters in Benghazi, or the temporary headquarters in Tobruk.
During a speech, Saleh claimed that any session held outside Benghazi or Tobruk would be considered illegal and contrary to the constitutional declaration. He stated that the outcomes of any session taking place elsewhere than these two cities would be void and would not be considered.
Saleh called on MPs to meet at the official parliament headquarters in Benghazi and take the correct measures. He stressed that he would inform the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the EU as well as the Arab and African Parliaments of this decision.
Last week, 123 MPs from the Libyan Parliament began talks in Tangiers aimed at unifying the Parliament in preparation for the next transitional phase. They also agreed to hold a plenary session in the city of Ghadames and their decision was hailed by the High Council of State (HCS). This rapprochement between Tripoli-based and Tobruk-based MPs came after political talks in Tunisia agreed to hold elections on 24 December 2021.