TRIPOLI – Libya’s commander, Khalifa Hifter, filed Tuesday as a candidate in the country’s presidential elections next month, as the long-waited vote faces growing uncertainty.
Hifter submitted his candidacy papers Tuesday in the eastern city of Benghazi and announced the move in a video, according to AP. He said he’s seeking the country’s highest post to “lead our people in a fateful stage.”
Hifter’s announcement comes after Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son and one-time heir apparent of the late dictator, submitted candidacy papers Sunday in the southern town of Sabha. Seif al-Islam, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity, has spent years largely in hiding.
If accepted, both Hifter and Seif al-Islam would be among front-runners in the Dec. 24 vote.
Politicians and militia leaders have already expressed their rejection of their candidacies, and demanded laws governing the presidential and parliamentary elections to be amended.
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