Race for Parliament Leadership Underway as Parties Put Forward Candidates
Political parties that secured victories in the recent legislative elections have submitted their proposed lists of MPs for membership in the Bureau of the People’s National Assembly, alongside the names of parliamentary group leaders.
The move comes ahead of this Tuesday’s inaugural session of the lower house of parliament, following an extraordinary meeting held Sunday by the assembly’s provisional bureau to finalize organizational arrangements for the opening session of the tenth parliamentary term.
According to a statement issued by the assembly, the provisional bureau’s meeting focused on setting the agenda for the opening session, discussing procedures for forming the credentials verification committee, and agreeing on logistical arrangements for the smooth running of the assembly’s first post-election session.
Under established procedures, the inaugural session will be chaired by the eldest elected member, assisted by the two youngest members, until a new speaker of the People’s National Assembly is elected. Once chosen, the newly elected speaker will oversee the installation of the assembly’s leadership structures—foremost among them the Bureau of the Assembly—in accordance with legal and regulatory frameworks.
In this context, successful political parties have engaged in preparations for the installation session. Groups meeting the legal threshold to form parliamentary blocs have begun submitting their proposed candidates for leadership positions within the assembly, whether for group chairmanships or seats on the assembly bureau, ahead of the new term and the structuring of parliamentary bodies.
According to information obtained by Echourouk, political parties belonging to the presidential majority—such as the National Liberation Front, the National Democratic Rally, the Front of the Future, and the National El-Binaa (construction) Movement—along with the Movement of Society for Peace and other qualified parties, have submitted their candidates for bureau membership. This paves the way for finalizing the composition of the lower house’s leadership bureau.
Tuesday’s session is widely expected to see the election of a new speaker of the People’s National Assembly to succeed former speaker Ibrahim Boughali, amid high anticipation regarding who will helm the lower house for its tenth term.
While no candidate has been officially confirmed yet, political consultations and parliamentary backchannels have circulated several names. These include figures who have previously held state responsibilities, female MPs, elected representatives from southern provinces, and public figures. Ultimately, however, the final selection remains tied to the stance of the parliamentary majority and the consensus among its components regarding the candidate who will secure backing.
Immediately following the election of the speaker, the newly elected official is expected to initiate the process of establishing the assembly bureau. This will involve inviting eligible political parties to submit their candidates for designated bureau posts, in line with parliamentary representation rules and statutory thresholds.
Available data indicates that the formation of the bureau is expected to be completed during the opening session itself, particularly given the approaching parliamentary recess. This makes finalizing the assembly’s structures essential for preparing ahead of the next legislative cycle and establishing the agenda for both legislative and oversight work.
Amid ongoing preparations, most political groups opted for direct appointments rather than internal block elections to select vice-speakers and structural nominees. Because this marks the opening phase of the new legislative term, parties are currently focused on organizing their internal structures and distributing responsibilities based on parliamentary representation and prior political consensus.
