Libya's parliament ousts speaker Aguila Saleh after 12 years

Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives has voted to replace its speaker of 12 years, Aguila Saleh, with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi. The ouster on October 6, 2026, followed a parliamentary vote to limit leadership terms to 12 months amid growing discontent over Saleh's unilateral decisions. Analysts suggest Saleh's removal reflects his weakening position as military commander Khalifa Haftar's sons, particularly Saddam Haftar, consolidate power in eastern Libya.

Election of new parliamentary leadership

• ▪The Libyan House of Representatives elected Tarek al-Ashtar and Mesbah Douma as first and second deputy speakers, respectively, on Tuesday, 6 October 2026
• ▪Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives voted on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, to replace longtime speaker Aguila Saleh with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi
• ▪Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi, who represents the eastern city of Tobruk and has chaired the parliament's Libyan-Turkish friendship committee, comes from the same tribe as Aguila Saleh

Influence of the Haftar family

• ▪Emadeddin Badi, an analyst at Chatham House, characterized Aguila Saleh's ouster as a result of Saddam Haftar's drive to centralize decision-making in eastern Libya and secure a political role
• ▪Aguila Saleh, who has long been considered a staunch ally of the Khalifa Haftar clan, appeared to be weakened as Khalifa Haftar's sons consolidated their positions

Libya's ongoing political division

• ▪The rival eastern administration in Libya, led by Khalifa Haftar, relies on the parliament, which sits in the eastern city of Benghazi under the control of Khalifa Haftar's forces
• ▪Libya remains politically and militarily divided between the United Nations-recognized government in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar

United Nations-Mediated peace agreement

• ▪The United Nations-mediated '4+4 committee' agreement attempts to resolve recurring legal and institutional disputes that have crippled Libya since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011
• ▪Representatives of Libya's rival political camps led by Abdulhamid Dbeibah and Khalifa Haftar signed a United Nations-mediated '4+4 committee' agreement in Tripoli in August 2026 to hold presidential and legislative elections within two years

Debatable claims

• ▪Saddam Haftar's consolidation of power undermines eastern Libya's political stability
• ▪Libya's parliament must maintain a 12-month term limit for its speakers
• ▪The parliamentary vote to oust Aguila Saleh was legally valid