Libya court rules in favour of Muammar Gaddafi's son; Saif al-Islam to run for president

A Libyan court ruled on Thursday that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, will be allowed to run for president in the country's December 24 elections. 

The decision by the Sabha Court of Appeals in Libya's southern province came after the country's apex electoral body, last week, disqualified Gaddafi's son and 24 others from running in the December polls, citing a provision in Libyan electoral law that mandates a presidential candidate must not have been "sentenced for a dishonourable crime", Al-Monitor reported.

Following the court announcement, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi took to Twitter to thank the judges for risking personal safety stating that the ruling was "in the name of truth," AP reported.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was sentenced to death in 2011

Earlier, Libya's High National Elections Committee had ruled out Saif's candidacy, citing that it breached Libyan law as there are several accusations against Saif.

In 2015, he was sentenced to death in absentia for using violence against protestors in the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against his father that led to the toppling of the Muammar Gadafi government. Saif was then held by Libyan militia for six years in the mountainous region of Zintan, Al-Monitor reported, adding that he was released after two years.

Since then, the son of the deceased dictatorial leader had been out of public appearances until May when he told the New York Times that he would run for president in Libya. Saif submitted his paperwork in Sebha, the southwestern city in Tripoli.

Libya mired in conflict ahead of polls

Since the assassination of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya's political landscape has been rocked by frequent violent uprisings. The oil-rich nation has been divided between a government in the east, backed by a powerful commander - Khalifa Haftar - and the UN-backed administration in Tripoli, which is also supported by Libyan militias from the western part of the country.

"External factors have exacerbated Libya's problems by funnelling money and weapons to proxies that have put personal interests above those of the Libyan people," the United States Institute of Peace mentioned.

Meanwhile, the United Nations' peace brokering process has also been "overshadowed" by sponsored foreign government conferences. Additionally, internal conflicts have left Libyan borders porous, facilitating increased trafficking and smuggling of weapons.

The forthcoming elections are likely to face severe challenges amid disputes over governing laws of the polls and inter-ethnic fighting among native groups. Among other obstacles, the presence of thousands of foreign troops will also impact the upcoming elections in the war-ravaged nation.

It is to be noted that since February, Libya is governed by an interim Cabinet elected by Libyan delegates after UN-led talks in Geneva.

(With inputs from AP, Image: AP)