Nouri Abusahmain نوري أبو سهمين |
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Chairman of the 2014 General National Congress of Libya | |
In office 4 August 2014* – 5 April 2016 |
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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 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. He had the support of the Muslim Brotherhood's party, the Justice and Construction Party, in his election. On becoming GNC president, Abusahmain was the first Libyan Berber to attain a national leadership role since the Tripolitanian Republic of 1918-22. 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.
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. Although the Deputy Speaker, Justice Ministry, Supreme Court and opposition parties rejected the proceedings as illegal, Abusahmain signed a decree confirming Maiteeq