Stephanie Williams, Special Adviser to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General in Libya, said in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that the decisions on the date of the elections and the eligibility of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to run is an “internal Libyan matter that is taken by the judiciary.” She called on all parties to adhere judicial rulings.
When asked whether Prime Minister Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba is eligible to run after he pledged not to do so, she said “all those who were running for executive authority positions during the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) process made written pledges not to run in these elections. …everyone must respect Libyan sovereignty and the independence of the judiciary.”
Williams refused to delve deeper into the best deadline for deciding the date of the elections, after it was postponed on the 24th of this month. She said that setting the next date “is up to the competent authorities in Libya, i.e. the House of Representatives (HoR), the Elections Commission (HNEC) and the judiciary.”
“The UN is fully prepared to assist the Libyans to overcome all difficulties and create appropriate conditions as soon as possible in order to ensure the holding of free, fair and credible elections,” she affirmed.
When asked about the mercenaries of Russia and Turkey, she said the process of removing mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign forces from Libya is a delicate and complex process.
“It must be carried out carefully in order to ensure that neighboring countries are not destabilized, and this requires time and careful coordination with the countries concerned,” she explained.
Williams said that the Minister of Interior assured her that the Ministry had drawn up tight security plans to secure the elections.
It is worth noting that Prime Minister Al-Dbaiba, before taking office, pledged that he would not run for elections, according to the agreed-upon roadmap. However he reneged on his promise and is now one of the strongest contenders in the presidential race.
The Tripoli Court of Appeal rejected an appeal lodged against interim Prime Minister Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba’s candidacy for Libya’s presidential elections. Al-Dbaiba’s candidacy sparked a lot of controversy in the Libyan arena, especially as it came in violation of the presidential election law approved by the Libyan HoR months ago.