The Libyan Parliament is seeking to remove ineligible candidates, including interim Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba from the Presidential race, according to the adviser to the Parliament’s Speaker, Fathi Al-Marimi.
In a press interview, Al-Marimi stressed the need to abide by the electoral laws, explaining that the Parliament formed a committee to communicate with the High National Elections Commission (HNEC).
Notably, prior to taking office, Prime Minister Dbaiba pledged that he would not run for elections, according to the agreed-upon roadmap. He has since reneged on his promise, and is now one of the strongest contenders in the Presidential race.
“The roadmap stipulated that the official must quit his job three months before the elections, which is what the candidates, Commander Khalifa Haftar, and Parliament Speaker Ageela Saleh did,” Al-Marimi explained. This is laid out in article 12 of the Presidential Election Law, which stipulates that candidates must resign from their positions three months before the 24 December date.
He noted that the Parliament is working to remove Dbaiba and all other ineligible applicants from the final list of candidates, whether for the Presidential or legislative elections.