“Libya decides”… debates before the presidential elections

The Libyan National Elections Commission launched on Wednesday the presidential debates initiative under the slogan “Libya decides”.

Sami el-Sharif, director of the media center at the commission, announced the launch of the presidential debates initiative under the slogan “Libya decides”.

This came during a press conference to launch the initiative in the capital Tripoli on Wednesday, in the presence of representatives of civil society organizations that will participate in organizing these debates.

“The initiative is a first experiment that Libyans must take part in”, el-Sharif said, adding that it will begin with the announcement of the final list of presidential candidates.

“The commission does not accept or reject any of the candidates; “It is the law that settles the files after the papers are transferred to the Libyan judiciary”.

Open participation

During the conference, the commission expressed that the initiative will be part of the work of the Libyan Presidential Debates Committee and will aim to give candidates an opportunity to present their programs to the public with transparency.

El-Sharif said that the maximum number of candidates participating in the debate is 10, who have equal time to present their ideas.

“Each candidate on the final list will be invited to participate in these debates, and if there is a second round of balloting, two debates will be organized for the final candidates,” he added.

He added: “After the announcement of the final list of candidates, the Libyan Committee for Presidential Debates will organize a draw between the candidates, specifying the location of each candidate in the debates”, he said. “There will be a contract signed by the candidates, the details of which will be announced later, and which includes respecting the ethics of the speech presented during the debates”.

Earlier, the Libyan Election Commission announced that 25 candidates, including Saif al-Islam al-Kadhafi, out of 98 candidates who had submitted their cards had been disqualified.

‘’However, these decisions are preliminary and can be appealed’’, the commission announced on its website.