Government & politics — Libya
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Libya: State of Libya
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
State of Libya
- Country Name
Libya
- Local - Long
Dawiat Libiya
- Local - Short
Libiya
- Etymology- history of name
name derives from the Libu, an ancient Libyan tribe first mentioned in texts from the 13th century B.C.
- Independence
24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)
- National Holiday
Liberation Day, 23 October (2011)
Political system
- Government Type
in transition
- Constitution
- history: previous 1951, 1977
- in July 2017, the Constitutional Assembly completed and approved a draft of a new permanent constitution
- in September 2018, the House of Representatives passed a constitutional referendum law in a session with contested reports of the quorum needed to pass the vote, and submitted it to the High National Elections Commission in December to begin preparations for a constitutional referendum
- the referendum is planned in 2022, following the presidential election
- Legal System:
Libya's post-revolution legal system is in flux and driven by state and non-state entities
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: Chairman, Presidential Council,
- Mohammed Al MENFI (since 5 February 2021) head of government: Interim Prime Minister Abdul
- Hamid DUBAYBAH (since 5 February 2021) elections/appointments: Libya’s first direct presidential election, scheduled for 24 December 2021, was not held
- Legislative Branch:
Description
unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis Al Nuwab) or HoR (200 seats including 32 reserved for women; members directly elected by majority vote; member term NA);
Note
the High State Council serves as an advisory group for the HoR
Elections
last held on 25 June 2014
Election Results
- percent of vote by party - NA
- seats by party - NA
- composition;
Note
- only 188 of the 200 seats were filled in the June 2014 election because of boycotts and lack of security at some polling stations
- some elected members of the HoR also boycotted the election
- Judicial Branch:
- highest court(s): Libya's judicial system consists of a supreme court, central high courts (in Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sabha), and a series of lower courts
- the judicial system is factious given the ongoing tension between Libya's eastern and western regions
- since 2011, Libyan political factions and armed groups have targeted judges and courthouses
- Regions or States:
22 governorates (muhafazah, singular - muhafazat); Al Butnan, Al Jabal al Akhdar, Al Jabal al Gharbi, Al Jafarah, Al Jufrah, Al Kufrah, Al Marj, Al Marqab, Al Wahat, An Nuqat al Khams, Az Zawiyah, Banghazi (Benghazi), Darnah, Ghat, Misratah, Murzuq, Nalut, Sabha, Surt, Tarabulus (Tripoli), Wadi al Hayat, Wadi ash Shati
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- NA
- Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
- no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grand
- no residency requirement for naturalization: varies from 3 to 5 years
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Tripoli (Tarabulus)
- Capital - geographic coordinate
32 53 N, 13 10 E
- Capital Time Difference
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BDEAC, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, LCBC, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNSMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
- International Law Organization Participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Jeremy BERNDT (since 9 October 2023) embassy: operations suspended mailing address: 8850 Tripoli Place, Washington, DC 20521-8850
telephone
[216] 71-107-000
Email address and website
- Webmaster_Libya@state.gov
- https://ly.usembassy.gov/
note
the US Embassy in Tripoli closed in July 2014 due to Libyan civil unrest; embassy staff and operations currently are located at US Embassy Tunis, Tunisia
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Fadil S M OMAR (since 17 July 2023)
chancery
1460 Dahlia Street NW, Washington, DC 20012
telephone
[1] (202) 944-9601
FAX
[1] (202) 944-9606
Email address and website
- info@embassyoflibyadc.com
- https://www.embassyoflibyadc.org/