Libya’s Supreme Court declares elected parliament invalid

CAIRO – ArabTelegraph – Libya’s Supreme Court declared the country’s internationally-recognized parliament as unconstitutional on Thursday, state news agency LANA said, deepening a rift between rival power centres in the oil producer.

Libya’s elected parliament, the House of Representatives, has been operating from the eastern city of Tobruk since an armed group linked to the western city of Misrata seized the capital Tripoli, dividing the North African country.

A spokesman for the House of Representatives declined to comment on the ruling. The court is based in Tripoli where the Misrata-led group has set up an alternative parliament and taken control of state bodies, calling into question the court’s ability to rule independently.