Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, a candidate in the presidential elections, thanked the judges of Libya, after a judicial ruling was issued to reinstate him to the electoral race.
Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi wrote on his Facebook page, saying, “all thanks and appreciation to the judges of Libya who risked themselves for the sake of the word of truth.”
He added that, “we dedicate this victory to all the Libyan people… and a special gift to my aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters, who endured the cold nights and stayed up to protect the court.”
On Thursday, a Libyan court reinstated Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of late leader Moammar Gaddafi, as a candidate in the country’s long-awaited presidential election, which is scheduled to be held on December 24th.
Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi’s appeal against his disqualification for the December 24th vote was delayed for days as fighters blocked off the court.
Last week, Libya’s High National Election Commission (HNEC) excluded Saif Al-Islam from the presidential race because of past convictions against him for using violence against protesters.
The first round of voting is meant to start on December 24th, though a number of divisive issues need to be resolved before then. It remains unclear whether any further legal challenges could be made to Saif Al-Islam’s candidacy.
A final list of candidates for the election has not yet been released amid a chaotic appeals process after the election commission initially disqualified 25 of the 98 who registered to run for President.
The elections come after years of United Nations (UN)-led attempts to usher in a more democratic future and end the country’s civil war.
The upcoming vote faces many challenges, including unresolved issues over laws governing the elections and occasional infighting among armed groups. Other obstacles include the deep rift that remains between the country’s East and West and the presence of thousands of foreign fighters and troops.
The oil-rich North African county is currently governed by an interim government that was elected by Libyan delegates after UN-led talks in Geneva in February.