...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy, so it's kind of hard to describe him as a Qadaffy holdover. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all. Actually, he is, but slowly....Disputes over the election rules, including the validity of a law issued by the Libyan Parliament in September, and over the eligibility of some candidates, threaten to derail the vote.
Last week, the outgoing Head of the United Nations
...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks...
Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Jan Kubis warned that not holding the elections as planned could "greatly deteriorate" the situation and lead to further division and conflict.
A UN political forum demanded Parliamentary and Presidential elections be held on 24 December, as part of a roadmap to end Libya’s civil war. A first-round Presidential vote is set for the date, however, the Parliamentary elections have been delayed until January or February.
"The Judiciary has the final word regarding the objections raised about the process, as well as on some Presidential candidates. Their verdict must be respected," Kubis said.
On Tuesday, the High National Electoral Commission (HNEC) said that 98 candidates, including two women, had registered to run in the Presidential elections. It also subsequently announced that 25 of these candidates have been disqualified. This includes Saif al-Islam Qadaffy, the son of former leader, Muammer Qadaffy. He has since launched an appeal against the ruling.
The disqualification was decided based on recommendations of the Attorney General, the Criminal Investigation Department, and the Citizenship and Passport Department, the commission said.
Notably, the Tripoli
...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn...
Court of Appeals accepted petitions filed by a number of candidates against Prime Minister, Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba’s bid to run in the December elections. According to media reports, the court is set to examine their request during the coming days, before issuing a ruling.
The polls come as part of a push to end a decade of violence in oil-rich Libya, following a NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all....
-backed uprising that toppled and killed Muammer Qadaffy in 2011.