Libya’s parliament removed its longtime speaker on Tuesday after 12 years in office, ousting a key ally of east-based Khalifa Haftar in a move analysts said could signal a shift in the country’s political balance.
MPs voted to replace Aguila Saleh with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi, the parliament's spokesman announced on X.
Libya has been beset by violence and instability since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.
It remains divided between the U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Haftar.
Haftar's camp relies in particular on the parliament, which sits in the eastern city of Benghazi under their control.
Saleh, 82, has long been considered a staunch ally of the Haftar clan, but he appeared to be weakened as Haftar's sons, in particular Saddam Haftar, consolidated their positions.
Emadeddin Badi, an analyst at the London-based Chatham House, said: "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."
His removal comes as a U.S. initiative aimed at reviving the political process and unifying Libya's institutions is under discussion.
