Haftar off Presidential Race
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After the exclusion of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Zawiya Court accepts an appeal lodged against Haftar’s candidacy.
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Retired Major General Khalifa Haftar in Athens, January 17, 2020 (AFP)
A Libyan court on Tuesday ruled to exclude Khalifa Haftar from next month’s presidential election, according to local media.
Zawiya Court of First Instance accepted an appeal lodged against Haftar’s candidacy and ruled to exclude him from the list of candidates for the upcoming elections.
The court said it decided "to accept the appeal ... and to cancel the decision of the High Elections Commission regarding the candidacy of Khalifa Haftar, and excluded him from the list of candidates for the presidential election."
Last week, the Libyan Electoral Commission announced a primary list of 73 candidates for the presidential election and another list of 25 people excluded from running for presidency, including Saif al-Islam, son of late Muammar Gaddafi, considering that he is not eligible to run being "convicted of committing war crimes."
Among the candidates is Libya's interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
The Libyan Government of National Unity warned earlier of increased violations and attacks on the electoral process and relevant institutions.
It pointed out that this will lead to undermining all efforts of the security plan, which will have a direct impact on the course of the electoral process, and thus leading to the deterioration of the security situation.
