TOBRUK, Libya — Being a parliamentarian in Libya is a death-defying act.
Entissar Chennib’s car was blown up in the eastern city of Derna on election day in June. Another representative, Ali Omar Tekbeli, knows it is too hazardous to go home to the capital.
“I receive death threats almost every day, warning me never to return to Tripoli again,” he said.
With armed groups battling for control of Libya, the eastern town of Tobruk — with its well-protected natural port, close-knit tribal society and the absence of militias — has become one of the safest places to seek refuge.
The city has become the unlikely center for a broad range of politicians, activists and military figures hoping to take back the Libyan state.
In August, Libya’s parliament moved to Tobruk, with members saying they were facing a constant risk of violence in the capital. Dozens of politicians, journalists and activists in Tripoli have been arrested, kidnapped or killed. The trend has only intensified since a loose alliance of mainly Islamist militias going under the name of Libya Dawn took control of most of the city several weeks ago.
This port city of 200,000 was little prepared for its new role as a strategic hub for those in retreat. There are only five hotels, so the authorities initially rented a Greek car ferry to house the overflow, while they tried to find more permanent accommodations.
The previous Libyan parliament, dominated by members sympathetic to Libya Dawn, still meets in Tripoli even though the representatives were supposed to step down after the June election.
Islamist politicians fared poorly in that vote, and the few who won elections have been boycotting the new parliament in Tobruk.
Many Libyans thought the lawlessness and violence that followed the 2011 uprising against Moammar Khadafy would fade as the Libyan state was rebuilt.
But instead, militias that fought in the revolution have become more powerful than the state, and regional power struggles have intensified.
In Tobruk, the parliament is trying to reconstitute the government in a safer place. Last week Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni’s new government was sworn in. Earlier last month, the parliament fired the head of the Central Bank of Libya after he refused to move to Tobruk or to make a budget payment requested by the new lawmakers.
Yet for the authorities in Tobruk, political and financial power ultimately hinge on the success of their military allies.
Ibrahim Madani, head of a fighting brigade from the city of Zintan, and a member of the forces that failed to hold Tripoli, was in Tobruk recently to consult with the military’s new chief of staff, Abdulrzag Nadwry, and members of the parliament.
The topic of his visit was preparation for the counter-offensive against Libya Dawn forces in Tripoli that many people say is imminent.
“The visit was successful. We got the logistical support we requested. There are some factions of the army that were lacking some equipment and weapons, so the equipment will be sent to us very soon,” he said.
