General National Congress

General National Congress

المؤتمر الوطني العام
Type
Type
History
Founded8 August 2012 (2012-08-08)
25 August 2014 (2014-08-25)
Disbanded4 August 2014 (2014-08-04)
5 April 2016 (2016-04-05)
Preceded byNational Transitional Council
Succeeded byHouse of Representatives
High Council of State
Leadership
Mohammed Magariaf (2012–13)
Nouri Abusahmain (2013–16)
Deputy presidents
First Deputy:
  • Giuma Ahmed Atigha (2012–13)
  • Ezzidine Mohammed Al-Awami (2013–2014)
  • Saleh Makhzoum (2014–16)

Second Deputy:

  • Saleh Essaleh
Structure
Seats200
Political groups
  National Forces Alliance (39)

  Justice and Construction (17)
  National Front (3)
  Union for the Homeland (2)
  National Centrist (2)
  Wadi Al-Hayah (2)
  Other parties/blocs (15)

  Independents (120)
Elections
Parallel voting; 80 seats through party-list proportional representation and 120 seats through multiple-member districts
Last election
7 July 2012
Meeting place
Al Nasr Convention Centre
Tripoli, Libya

The General National Congress or General National Council (GNC; Arabic: المؤتمر الوطني العام) was the legislative authority of Libya for two years following the end of the First Libyan Civil War. It was elected by popular vote on 7 July 2012, and took power from the National Transitional Council on 8 August.

Tasked primarily with transitioning Libya to a permanent democratic constitution, it was given an 18-month deadline to fulfill this goal. When the deadline passed with work on the new constitution only just having gotten underway, Congress was forced to organise elections to a new House of Representatives, which took power and replaced it on 4 August 2014.

A non-reelected minority of former GNC members, supported by the LROR and Central Shield armed groups, met on 25 August 2014 and declared a National Salvation Government. They elected Omar al-Hasi as prime minister. From August 2014, GNC is no longer internationally recognized as the legitimate parliament of Libya.

On 5 April 2016, the GNC announced its own dissolution and has been replaced by the High Council of State.