Power Struggle Erupts in Libya Over Constitutional Court

Power Struggle Erupts in Libya Over Constitutional Court
Continuing disputes between Libyan sovereign institutions over authorities reflects the depth of the political crisis and absence of national consensus
November 3, 2024, 9:45 pm

ليبيا

Tensions have escalated between the Libyan Presidential Council and Parliament over the controversy surrounding the Constitutional Court establishment law, amid the absence of political solutions to the Libyan crisis.

Presidential Council head Mohamed Al-Menfi addressed his counterpart in Parliament, Aguila Saleh, calling for freezing and canceling legislation that "is not required by the transitional phase and violates the political agreement," referring to the Supreme Constitutional Court law.

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Al-Menfi criticized the law for lacking constitutional legitimacy, accusing Parliament of attempting to control the judiciary through unilateral legislation, warning of the consequences of ignoring judicial rulings that invalidate the law on the country's stability.

The Parliament-appointed government attacked the Presidential Council's position, calling on the Public Prosecutor to take legal action against it, and described Al-Menfi's letter as "containing fallacies and contradictions."

The government emphasized that the law "was issued by a competent legislative authority," considering it establishes independent constitutional oversight similar to judicial systems in neighboring countries.

Parliament approved a law in December 2022 to establish a supreme constitutional court in Benghazi, as an alternative to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court in Tripoli, then chose its president and members last June, which provoked the Presidential Council and western Libya camp.

The relationship between the two institutions has been experiencing escalating tension since the Presidential Council's decision last August to change the Central Bank's management, before reaching a UN-sponsored agreement on appointing a new governor and forming a board of directors for the bank.

Levant-Agencies

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