Court able to look into appeal after Haftar-backed militia withdrew from building
A Libyan court on Thursday allowed Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to run for president after accepting his appeal following a ruling that had him excluded from the Dec. 24 presidential polls.
“The Sabha Court of Appeal accepted the appeal submitted by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and returned him back to the presidential elections race,” private Libya al-Ahrar TV wrote on Twitter.
The ruling came after a militia affiliated with warlord Khalifa Haftar withdrew Tuesday from the Sabha Court after having it under seize for two days.
They forced the court to close, preventing judges from looking into Gaddafi’s appeal against his exclusion from the elections.
The UN mission in Libya threatened Monday to impose Security Council sanctions against “those obstructing the justice and electoral system.”
Observers believe Gaddafi’s return to the political scene poses a threat to Haftar’s candidacy who relies on support from Gaddafi loyalists.
The Libyan Electoral Commission announced a primary list last week of 73 candidates for the election and another with 25 people excluded from running, including Gaddafi.
Libya’s presidential and parliamentary elections are set to take place under a UN-sponsored agreement reached by Libyan political rivals during meetings in Tunisia last November.
Libyans hope that the elections will contribute to ending an armed conflict that has plagued the oil-rich country for years.
