Libya’s parliament removes Speaker Saleh after 12 years as discontent grows

Libya’s eastern-based House of Representatives has elected a new speaker, ending Aguila Saleh’s 12-year tenure amid growing discontent among lawmakers over his leadership. Legislators in the 170-member House voted on Tuesday to replace Saleh with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi, the parliament’s spokesperson announced on X. The vote came a day after 98 members of the House approved a new system limiting the speaker and deputy speakers to a single 12-month term. The change ended an arrangement that had been in place since the chamber’s first leadership was elected in 2014. “There was significant discontent among MPs with the previous leadership over numerous errors,” lawmaker Jebree Oheida told the Reuters news agency.