Britannica Sources used in this answer

What happened in Libya’s 2012 election for the General National Congress?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

In July 2012, Libya held elections to choose members for a 200-seat assembly known as the General National Congress (GNC). These elections took place despite occasional violence stemming from regional and local power struggles following the fall of the Qaddafi regime.1

The National Forces Alliance, a secular party led by former interim prime minister Mahmoud Jibril, secured the largest number of seats in the assembly. Following the election, the Transitional National Council (TNC) formally transferred power to the GNC on August 8, 2012.12

The GNC was tasked with appointing a new prime minister and drafting a constitution. However, the assembly struggled to establish stability, facing significant challenges such as the influence of armed militias that refused to disarm, internal disputes over its mandate, and a deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in September 2012.21