Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh announced on Sunday that he will run for president in the upcoming elections on December 24; a move which was met with public criticism as the interim premier overrides Article 12 of presidential elections law.
Current election law requires officeholders to step down three months ahead of the vote scheduled for Dec. 24, which could pose a problem for Dbeibah’s candidacy. Furthermore, the Libyan premier signed a pledge to the U.N.-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) before he assumed power, in which he vouched not to run for public office in the upcoming elections.
According to the latest data from the HNEC, over 30 candidates has so far officially made a bid for the presidency, including Saif al-Islam Muammar Gaddafi and Khalifa Haftar.
The deadline for presidential candidacy filing is November 22nd. After that, the HNEC will vet all the applicants and present a final list of those allowed to compete in the first round of the presidential race.