In the middle of last month, Haftar announced his candidacy for the presidential elections in Libya, and promised the Libyans, in a televised speech, to “defend national principles, the most important of which are the country’s unity, sovereignty and independence.”
He added, “We have inexhaustible ideas and helpers who are able to improve the lives of Libyans,” calling on citizens “to help work on building a prosperous and stable Libya.”
The army commander officially suspended his military duties, announcing the assignment of the army chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Abdel Razek Al-Nadori, with the tasks of the commander in chief for a period of 3 months.
Haftar’s announcement of his candidacy came two weeks after the adoption of an electoral law that would allow him to run, and then take up his military position again if he was not elected.
The 77-article law, which was published on September 9, bearing No. 1 of 2021 and signed by the Speaker of Parliament, regulates the presidential elections scheduled for December 24.
An article of the law indicates that any military or civilian can run for the position of president, provided he “stops work and exercise his duties three months before the election date,” and if he is not elected, he “returns to his previous work.”
In the context of returning to the presidential race, the Tripoli Court of Appeal issued a ruling, on Wednesday, in favor of Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dabaiba, and rejected two appeals against him and returned him to the list of presidential candidates.
A court in Sabha, southern Libya, also ruled, on Thursday, that Saif al-Islam, son of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi, must return to the presidential race.
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