Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ageela Saleh, has called on members to convene an official session next Tuesday at the HoR’s official seat in Benghazi.
Saleh has announced that the agenda will be:
- Amending Law No. (4) of 2014 and scheduling a parliamentary session.
- Discussing the constitutionality of the laws submitted by the "4+4" Committee—which have already been approved by the House—and incorporating them into the Constitutional Declaration.
September session approves UNSMIL brokered 4+4 Committee
It will be recalled that the HoR had held an ‘‘official’’, but closed, session of between 30-40 members in September which ‘‘unanimously’’ approved the UNSMIL brokered "4+4 Committee".
Quorum?
It will be recalled that 68 HoR members issued a statement on the same day that the September HoR session was being held. It stated their refusal to hold or participate in an HoR session unless the procedures and protocols governing its operations are observed.
They emphasized that, should an agenda be adopted, they would refuse to discuss any item other than the amendment of the internal regulations. They added:
- We affirm that the legal quorum required for the House to convene—defined as the presence of 87 deputies—has not been met; consequently, any session held in the absence of this quorum fails to satisfy the conditions for a valid meeting, and its outcomes are subject to legal challenge before the competent judicial authorities.
- Withholding the quorum is a legitimate democratic parliamentary practice that reflects the deputies' stance; it cannot be circumvented, nor can a fait accompli be imposed within the legislative institution.
- Should the current leadership persist in this course of action, we will move to convene a session with a full quorum—presided over by the eldest member—to take the necessary measures to elect a new leadership that respects the will of the House, adheres to its internal regulations, and upholds the regularity of its sessions and the independence of its decision-making.
- The House of Representatives is an institution governed by rules and procedures, not one reducible to specific individuals; legitimacy is not imposed through a fait accompli but is derived from respect for the law and the will of the members.
First official session in over eight months
It will be recalled that the September session was the first time the HoR had sat in an official session for more than eight months. This excludes unofficial sessions where issues were debated without a binding vote.
Calls for sessions ignored by Saleh
Over this period there have been numerous calls by various HoR members on Speaker Salah to convene a session – without any success.
It is believed that Saleh has avoided holding an official HoR session because of the threat of his removal as Speaker.
Calls for removal of Saleh
There have also been calls for the removal of Saleh from his post as HoR Speaker – again without success.
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