Libya: Divisions Deepen as Armed Force Blocks Parliamentary Meeting in Benghazi
Summary:
On 21 September 2026, The New Arab reported that a group of Libyan House of Representatives members was prevented from entering the parliament’s headquarters in Benghazi to hold a consultative meeting on proposed amendments to the chamber’s internal regulations.
Parliamentary sources said a force affiliated with the General Command’s Chief of Staff was deployed at the main entrance and told lawmakers that no session had been scheduled by the parliament’s leadership.
The lawmakers said they had secured the required quorum after eight months of attempts to amend the internal regulations, including restoring a one-year limit on the House presidency that would affect Aguila Saleh’s tenure.
Outlook:
As the reported rift within the Haftar family has yet to receive official confirmation, its significance remains difficult to assess, although the issue has been increasingly reported by Libyan media.
While the dispute has mainly been reported within the HoR, it extends beyond the institution and reflects competition over political and economic leadership in eastern Libya, particularly between networks aligned with Saddam Haftar and those associated with Khaled and Belqasem Haftar. This would be notable for an eastern camp that has generally maintained a unified political posture, with any open competition among the Haftar family’s different branches potentially affecting how political authority and economic influence are distributed across the east.
The dispute could also weaken the House’s ability to present a unified position in the wider political process, particularly regarding its engagement with the 4+4 track.
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