A group of lawyers and legal experts has reportedly formed a committee to submit judicial appeals in the event that the High National Election Commission (HNEC) allows Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh to enter the first round of the presidential race on December 24.
The interim premier filed for presidential candidacy on Sunday amid public criticism over the illegality of his decision.
Current election law requires officeholders to step down three months ahead of the vote scheduled for December, 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.
All presidential candidates will have their applications vetted by the HNEC, which will release the list of accepted candidates next week.
Several legal experts expect Dbeibah’s candidacy to be eliminated giving his violations of electoral law and the UN-LPDF pledge. However, they fear that he could use his influence as prime minister to pressure the HNEC to accept him.
If the HNEC were to allow him to run, the legal committee will reportedly appeal the decision and present documented evidence to the commission.
Among submitted evidence by the legal committee, there will be copies of supporting documents which allegedly proves that Dbeibeh is a dual citizen and enjoys a residency status in a European country.
The legal committee reportedly intends to file charges of misdemeanor and abuse of power against Imad al-Sayeh, the HNEC chairman, if the latter ignored the legal appeals against Dbeibah’s candidacy.