Libya Election Body Rejects Gaddafi Son's Presidential Bid
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The Libyan Elections Commission says that Seif al-Islam Gaddafi is not eligible to run for the presidency, and an informed Libyan source asserts that the reason is his conviction of war crimes.
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Seif al-Islam's presidential bid was rejected.
Libya's electoral board declared on Wednesday that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of late Muammar Gaddafi, will not run in the presidential election next month.
Saif al-Islam, who registered to run on November 14 and was wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, was one of 25 candidates whose candidacy was rejected, according to the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) panel.
The 25 were refused on legal grounds, as well as information from officials such as the public prosecutor, a police chief, and the head of the passports and citizenship department, according to the statement.
Saif al-Islam, whose whereabouts had been kept a mystery for months, became the first heavyweight candidate to register for the contest in a stunning announcement.
In 2017, a Tripoli court sentenced him to death for crimes committed during the uprising that ousted his father. A competing regime in eastern Libya later pardoned him.
He came out of the shadows in July, telling The New York Times that he was contemplating a political comeback.
In a rare interview, Saif al-Islam said he wanted to "restore the lost unity" of Libya after a decade of chaos.
Libya's electoral commission announced Tuesday that a total of 98 candidates, including two women, have registered to run in the December 24 presidential election.
The polls come as Libya tries to put an end to a decade of conflict that has engulfed the oil-rich country since the death of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
