By excluding Saif Al-Islam Kadhafi… The Muslim Brotherhood continues to derail the upcoming election
The Libyan presidential elections, which are expected to take place next month, entered the stage of appeals yesterday after candidates excluded by the High Elections Commission decided to resort to the judiciary, in protest against their exclusion, amid attempts to exclude Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, appeals against Dbeiba, and the exclusion of Saif al-Islam on the other hand.
The legal dispute between Libyan political parties began early on, over the legal basis of the elections and the rules governing candidacy, but escalated as controversial candidates, Abdel Hamid Dbeiba, the head of the army, Khalifa, and Saif al-Islam Kadhafi, came forward.
Brotherhood Plans
The Brotherhood continues to thwart the upcoming elections, aggravate the situation among the parties that entered a permanent peace process, and the latest attempts by the Brotherhood to ignite the situation in Libya. A military court issued verdicts against a number of Libyan Army leaders, including the commander of the Libyan Army, presidential candidate Khalifa Haftar, the chief of staff of the Army, Abdul Razzaq Al-Nadhuri, and leaders of the Air Force and the branches of the armed forces.
Lucky Haftar
Political analyst Mohamed Saidi said that Haftar’s chances of winning are high because of the popularity he enjoys among Libyans in the east and south of the country. Haftar’s popularity stems from his role in fighting armed groups and terrorist organizations, ridding the east and south of them and establishing security and stability in areas under the protection of the Libyan National Army, he said.
In press statements, Saidi added that given the current list, the likelihood of any other candidate winning, especially from the western region, is very low, given that the Libyan West is under the control of armed groups. Therefore, any candidate from the West is directly supported by entities supporting the chaos in Libya, which the Libyan people seek to eliminate rather than the contrary.
“The elections are expected to be held on time despite the obstacles”, Saidi said. “However, this does not rule out the possibility that obstructive groups will turn against the election results if Field Marshal Haftar wins, which threatens the Libyan people’s dream of choosing who to represent and takes the country out of the chaos that lasted for more than ten years.
A total of 98 candidates had submitted their candidacies to run in the next Libyan presidential election. The electoral commission excluded 25 candidates, including Saif al-Islam Kadhafi.
The list of candidates eligible for the top post in the December 24 elections, after the first review, includes Libyan Army Commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, parliament speaker Aguila Salah, and Head of the Government of National Unity Abdel Hamid Dbeiba.
International support
“The outgoing UN envoy, Jan Kubis, stressed the importance of holding free and fair elections in Libya, calling for not wasting the opportunity offered by the elections in order to build a future that transcends all differences”.
Kubis’s comments come amid a continuing battle of appeals against those who rejected their candidacy for the presidential elections.
Kubis described the elections as an opportunity that should not be missed, for a future that transcends all differences. He noted that the high voter turnout for registration is evidence that the majority understand the importance of the event.
According to commission statistics, about two million voter cards have been delivered so far, and the handover process will be completed by Sunday.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken affirmed “U.S. support for a sovereign, stable, unified, secure and non-interventionist Libya”.
During the recent ministerial meeting on Libya on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Blinken urged Libyan leaders “to take the necessary steps to ensure free and fair elections as defined by the Libyan Political Dialog Forum road map, including the need for agreement on a constitutional and legal framework”.
