Benghazi:Libya's House of Representatives has elected Al-Salihin Abdul Nabi al-Obeidi as its new speaker, replacing Aguila Saleh. This development was announced by parliament spokesman Abdullah Blihaq on Tuesday.

According to Anadolu Agency, the election occurred during a session at the parliament's headquarters in Benghazi, chaired by Second Deputy Speaker Misbah Doma. The session was specifically dedicated to electing the presidency.

Al-Obeidi, who represents the first electoral district in Tobruk, is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in parliament. Before his election as speaker, he chaired the Libyan-Turkish Parliamentary Friendship Committee, focusing on strengthening ties with Trkiye through parliamentary and economic cooperation.

The election followed a vote by 98 lawmakers to amend the parliament's internal rules, establishing a new presidency and ending Saleh's tenure. This decision was made during a session attended by 102 members, as previously stated by lawmaker Mohammed Tamer.

However, Saleh rejected the session's legitimacy, calling it 'unofficial' and claiming it lacked a legal basis due to procedural non-compliance. He argued that the law governing the parliament and its internal rules, particularly those concerning amendments, had not been followed.

Two weeks prior, 86 lawmakers accused Saleh of obstructing their access to parliament, preventing them from holding a session to discuss necessary reforms and amendments, particularly to Law No. 4 of 2014. This law does not specify a term for the speaker, prompting calls from some lawmakers for annual leadership elections.

Libya remains divided between the Government of National Unity in Tripoli and the eastern government appointed by the House of Representatives in Benghazi. The UN mission in Libya continues efforts to lead the nation toward elections to resolve the ongoing crisis.