National Front Party (Libya)

The National Front Party (Arabic: حزب الجبهة الوطنية‎, Hizb Al-Jabha Al-Wataniyya)[4] is a political party in Libya, formed in May 2012. It is the successor to the National Front for the Salvation of Libya, an anti-Gaddafi resistance movement founded in 1981.[2] Its ideology is considered liberal and progressive, and Libya Herald writer George Grant described the party as "arguably the most liberal-leaning of all in Congress."[1][3]

National Front Party

حزب الجبهة الوطنية
Hizb Al-Jabha Al-Wataniyya
LeaderMohamed Ali Abdallah
FounderMohamed Yousef el-Magariaf
Founded9 May 2012[1]
Preceded byNational Front for the Salvation of Libya
IdeologyLiberalism[2]
Progressivism[3]
Political positionCentre-left
General National Congress
3 / 200
Party flag
Website
http://www.jabha.ly/

NFP holds 3 seats in the General National Congress (GNC), making it the third largest party.[5] Its leader, Mohamed el-Magariaf served as the President of the GNC from 9 August 2012 to 28 May 2013.[6][7]

Leadership

The party has a “High Leadership Committee” consisting of 16 members, headed by the party president.[2]

At the first party congress, held in Benghazi, the former NFSL leader Mohammed Magariaf was elected president of the party.

On 9 August 2012, Magariaf resigned as party leader, after he was elected President of the General National Congress, making him provisional head of state. Mohamed Ali Darrat become acting president of NFP until Mohamed Ali Abdallah was elected head of the party.

History

On 9 May 2012, the National Front for the Salvation of Libya (NFSL) was turned to a political party, named National Front Party (NFP).

In the Libyan Congressional elections of 2012, NFP fielded 45 candidates, including 22 women.[2] It received 4.08% of the popular vote and won 3 of the 80 party-list seats. Several of the 120 independents in the GNC are also affiliated with the party.[8]

Ideology

NFP positions itself as a progressive liberal party promoting pluralism and democracy. It focuses on economic development, security, women's rights, and the welfare of the 2011 Libyan Civil War veterans and their families. It takes a hard line on the former figures of the Gaddafi government and declares that trying them in court is a prerequisite to national reconciliation. It favors a certain degree of decentralization, but rejects federalism.[2] It sees Islam as a broad guideline to the state's affairs, but does not mention the implementation of Islamic Sharia law.[9]

References
  1. Grant, George (12 August 2012). "Analysis: Magarief victory paves way for emergence of Abushagur as PM". Libya Herald. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  2. Khan, Umar (30 June 2012). "Party Profile: The National Front". Libya Herald.
  3. Khan, Umar (5 June 2012). "Libya's delayed elections are hard to call". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  4. Haimzadeh, Patrick (3 July 2012). "Libya's Unquiet Election". Middle East Online.
  5. "National Congress party results". Libya Herald. 18 July 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  6. "Libyan assembly votes Gaddafi opponent as president". Reuters. 9 August 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  7. "Levent Baştürk: Magariaf's being affected by the Political Isolation Law is not fair - New Region". Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
  8. http://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/research_papers/2013_RP04_lac.pdf
  9. The major parties in Libya's first elections since Arab Spring protests toppled Gadhafi Israel News | Haaretz
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