Libyan Prime Minister Abdel Hamid al-Dabaiba submitted his candidacy papers for the presidential elections at the headquarters of the Electoral Commission in the capital, Tripoli, while the military prosecutor called on the Electoral Commission to stop the procedures for candidacy of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Khalifa Haftar for the presidential elections.

Dabaiba said - in a press conference after submitting his candidacy papers - "today I submit my candidacy file to serve you and not otherwise in the upcoming presidential elections."

He added, "We have started the journey together and we will complete it together, and we have raised from the beginning the slogan of no war anymore, and Libya will only be a united, secure and sovereign state in which Libyans live in prosperity."

Speech of the presidential candidate Abdul Hamid Dabaiba Speech of the candidate for the presidential elections Abdul Hamid Dabaiba.

#We won't let you down, God willing

Posted by Abdulhamid AL-Dabaiba on Sunday, November 21, 2021

Dabaiba's move was expected after he finally submitted a financial disclosure statement for him and his family before the (governmental) Anti-Corruption Commission, a procedure that precedes the submission of the candidacy file to the Electoral Commission.

Dabaiba attacked the House of Representatives last week, accusing it of passing "non-consensual" electoral laws that might cause a major problem for the electoral process, noting that he intends to submit his candidacy for the presidential elections at the "appropriate time."

Media sources from the Commission stated to Al-Jazeera that the number of candidates for the presidential elections exceeded 50 candidates, including the current Speaker of Parliament, Aqila Saleh, the former President of the General National Congress, and former prime ministers. The list of candidates also included former ministers, prominent leaders from the former regime and current and former parliamentarians.

It is expected that the High National Elections Commission will announce the initial lists of candidates in a press conference that will be held tomorrow evening, in preparation for the announcement of the final lists after searching in the files of the candidates by the Office of the Public Prosecutor, the Criminal Investigation Agency, and the General Administration of Passports and Nationality, as well as after searching in the appeals by The relevant committees assigned by the Supreme Court.

Earlier, the Electoral Commission announced that it had referred the first batch of presidential candidates' files to the security and judicial authorities, in accordance with the provisions of the laws regulating the electoral process.


Judicial objections

In a related context, the Military Prosecutor's Office demanded, in a letter to the head of the High National Elections Commission, that the procedures for the candidacy of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi and retired Major General Khalifa Haftar be halted until they complete an investigation into a number of facts assigned to them.

The Office of the Military Prosecutor indicated in its letter to the Chairperson of the Commission, that Gaddafi and Haftar are accused in a number of cases that are being investigated, including the killing of citizens at the hands of the Russian Wagner Company, and the killing of 26 students from the Military College after they were targeted by foreign aircraft.

The cases in which Haftar is accused and being investigated include the killing of 63 refugees at the migrant shelter center in Tajoura, east of Tripoli, after they were targeted by foreign aircraft.

The Electoral Commission witnessed the receipt of the papers of controversial figures, led by Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi (son of the late Colonel Muammar Gaddafi), retired General Khalifa Haftar, and Parliament Speaker Aqila Saleh.

On Wednesday, the Electoral Commission announced in a statement that "candidacy applications attached to documents related to the legal requirements submitted to the commission do not necessarily mean that the candidate's application has been accepted."

Libyans hope that the elections will contribute to ending an armed conflict that has plagued the oil-rich country. With the support of Arab and Western countries, mercenaries and foreign fighters, Haftar's militia fought for years the former internationally recognized Government of National Accord.