Libya's top court dissolves elected parliament

Libya's supreme constitutional court on Thursday formally dissolved the country's recently-elected House of Representatives (parliament).

A number of lawmakers had asked the court in June to rule on the constitutionality of the assembly, which was elected in June.

There has been no comment by lawmakers on the decision.

On Wednesday, assembly spokesman Farag Hashem said the House would accept the court verdict and had no plans to appeal it.

Before its dissolution, parliament had been convening in the eastern city of Tobruk since an armed militia seized capital Tripoli this summer.

Libya has been dogged by political instability since the 2011 ouster and death of strongman Muammar Gaddafi. Ever since, rival militias have frequently locked horns, bringing violence to Libya's main cities.

The sharp political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government, each of which has its own institutions.