Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh said Monday that he’ll run for president in the upcoming elections on December 24 “if that’s what the people want”.
Dbeibeh, whose interim government’s mandate expires on elections day, told his supporters in a rally yesterday: “It’s up to you. Do you want me to run in the elections, or do you not?”.
Dbeibah has yet to officially announce his candidacy. However, Reuters reported last week that the premier intends to run for president in the upcoming elections, citing sources from inside the government.
Under Libya’s elections laws, he would have had to step down from government duties more than three months before an election date. He also pledged when he was appointed to the interim position through U.N.-led talks that he would not run for office in the government that succeeded his. His victory in leading the interim government was also marred by allegations of bribery.