Editing Politics of Libya (section)

==House of Representatives==

The [[House of Representatives (Libya)|House of Representatives]] was formed following [[2014 Libyan parliamentary election|June 2014 elections]], when the [[General National Congress]] formed as a transitional body after the [[Libyan civil war (2011)|Libyan Revolution]] dissolved. The House of Representatives controls the Libyan National Army, known to be the country's most effective and coordinated armed organization, as well as controls oil ports.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |date=2016-08-08 |title=Libya’s faltering new government |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13567888.2016.1243842 |journal=Strategic Comments |volume=22 |issue=7 |pages=vi–vii |doi=10.1080/13567888.2016.1243842}}</ref> The control that the House of Representatives has on the country's oil reserves has played a role in changing the dynamic of Libya's politics, especially since the General National Assembly has the right to sell the oil in states which legitimize it as Libya's sole government.

However, [[Islamism|Islamists]] fared poorly in the low-turnout elections,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/06/libya-elections-democracy-transition-chaos-war.html|agency=Al-Monitor|title=Poor election turnout sign of Libya's despair|date=30 June 2014|access-date=18 February 2015|first=Mustafa|last=Fetouri}}</ref> and members of the Islamist-led GNC reconvened in August 2014, refusing to recognize the new parliament dominated by [[secularism|secularist]] and [[federalism|federalist]] lawmakers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/libya-outgoing-parliament-elects-pm-2014825134648296586.html|title=Libya's outgoing parliament elects PM|date=25 August 2014|access-date=18 February 2015}}</ref> Libya Dawn, the militia coalition of the New General National Congress swiftly seized control of Tripoli, Libya's constitutional capital, forcing the newly elected parliament of the House of Representatives into virtual exile in Tobruk, near the [[Egypt]]ian border.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/24/libya-capital-under-islamist-control-tripoli-airport-seized-operation-dawn|work=The Guardian|title=Libyan capital under Islamist control after Tripoli airport seized|date=24 August 2014|access-date=18 February 2015}}</ref> However, The House of Representatives enjoys widespread international recognition as Libya's official government, and controls the Libyan National Army.<ref name=":4"/> However, the Tripoli-based Supreme Court declared it illegal and voided the results of the election in November 2014. The court ruling was hailed by the GNC and its backers, but it was rejected as invalid by the House of Representatives and its loyalists.<ref name="chaos">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-parliament-idUSKBN0IQ0YF20141106|work=Reuters|title=Libya faces chaos as top court rejects elected assembly|date=6 November 2014|access-date=18 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/11/06/Libyan-court-dissolves-parliament.html|agency=Al Arabiya|title=Libyan parliament defies supreme court ruling|date=6 November 2014|access-date=18 February 2015}}</ref>

Against this backdrop of division, the [[Islamic State|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] and [[Ansar al-Sharia (Libya)|Ansar al-Sharia]], as well as other militant groups both religious and tribal in nature, have seized control of several cities and districts across Libya, especially in [[Cyrenaica]], which is theoretically under the control of the Tobruk-based government.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/11186153/Libya-has-become-the-latest-Isil-conquest.html|work=The Telegraph|title=Libya has become the latest Isil conquest|date=24 October 2014|access-date=18 February 2015|first=Noman|last=Benotman}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/12/01/baghdadi-vs-zawahri-battle-for-global-jihad|agency=U.S. News & World Report|title=Baghdadi vs. Zawahri: Battle for Global Jihad|date=1 December 2014|access-date=18 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/al-qaeda-islamic-police-patrol-libyan-city-contested-isis-302961|agency=Newsweek|title=Al-Qaeda 'Islamic Police' on Patrol in Libyan City Contested With ISIS|date=29 January 2015|access-date=18 February 2015|first=Jack|last=Moore}}</ref>

A number of commentators have described Libya as a [[failed state]] or suggested it is on the verge of failure.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29639420|publisher=BBC News|title=Libya's government holed up in a 1970s hotel|date=16 October 2014|access-date=18 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21638122-another-font-global-mayhem-emergingnot-helped-regional-meddling-and-western|agency=The Economist|date=10 January 2015|access-date=18 February 2015|title=The next failed state}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/libya-anniversary-situation-terrible-150216082028555.html|publisher=Al Jazeera|title=Libya anniversary: 'The situation is just terrible'|first=Rebecca|last=Murray|date=16 February 2015|access-date=18 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/unravelling|agency=The New Yorker|title=The Unravelling|date=23 February 2015|access-date=18 February 2015|first=Jon Lee|last=Anderson}}</ref>