Nouri Abusahmain

Nouri Abusahmain نوري أبو سهمين
Chairman of the 2014 General National Congress of Libya
In office 4 August 2014* – 5 April 2016
Prime Minister	Omar al-Hassi Khalifa al-Ghawil
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Fayez al-Sarraj as Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya
President of the General National Congress of Libya
In office 25 June 2013 – 4 August 2014
Prime Minister	Ali Zeidan Abdullah al-Thani Ahmed Maiteeq (Disputed)
Preceded by	Giuma Ahmed Atigha (Acting)
Succeeded by	Abu Bakr Baira as Acting President of the House of Representatives of Libya
Personal details
Born	Zuwarah, Libya
Political party	Al-Wafaa
Religion	Islam
*Abusahmain position as head of state has been disputed by Abu Bakr Baira and then by Aguila Saleh Issa.

Nouri Abusahmain (Arabic : نوري أبو سهمين) is a Libyan politician. He is a major figure on the Islamist side of the 2014 Libyan Conflict and founder of the LROR group which is considered "terrorist" by the internationally recognized Libyan parliament. He is reported to have rigged proceedings of the General National Congress^[1] while serving as its president.

He was originally elected to the GNC as member for Zuwarah. He had some support from the Muslim Brotherhood, but stood as an independent candidate. He has denied strong links with the Muslim Brotherhood.

In 2013, he was the Islamist candidate for president of the Libyan General National Congress, but was considered a compromise candidate acceptable to more liberal members of the congress. As a result, he became GNC president on 25 June 2013.^[2] He had the support of the Muslim Brotherhood's party, the Justice and Construction Party, in his election.^[3] On becoming GNC president, Abusahmain was the first Libyan Berber to attain a national leadership role since the Tripolitanian Republic of 1918-22.^[4] Abusahmain immediately set up an Islamist armed group, the LROR, which attempted an Islamist coup in October 2013. He suppressed debates and inquiries which the Islamist part of the GNC did not want, including a debate over his alleged illegal diversion of money towards the LROR.^[1]

He played a part in the constitutional crisis which emerged when Islamist Ahmed Maiteeq was supposedly elected prime minister in a GNC session in April 2014 which was intimidated by armed Islamist militants bursting into parliament.^[5] Although the Deputy Speaker, Justice Ministry, Supreme Court and opposition parties rejected the proceedings as illegal, Abusahmain signed a decree confirming Maiteeq^[6]

His term ended when the new House of Representatives was established on 4 August 2014.^[7][8] He was succeeded by Abu Bakr Baira, the interim head of new parliament.^[9] He was also GNC representative for the Amazigh (i.e. Berber) town of Zuwarah,^[10] in the west of the country.

References

1. Historical Dictionary of Libya. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
2. "Libya's national assembly elects new president". Al Arabiya. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
3. "Libya assembly votes in first Berber as new chief". Reuters. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
4. St John, Ronald Bruce (4 June 2014). Historical Dictionary of Libya. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 24.
5. "BBC News - Libya Congress rejects new PM Ahmed Maiteg". BBC News. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
6. "Libya speaker confirms new PM's appointment". Al Jazeera English. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
7. Lamloum, Imed. "Libya power handover agreed as airport battle rages on". www.news.yahoo.com. Agence France-Presse (AFP). Retrieved 26 July 2014.
8. "Libya's new parliament meets in Tobruk". Libya Herald. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
9. "Libyan parliament meets". IOL News. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
10. "Nuri Ali Abu Sahmain elected Congress President". Libya Herald. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2013.