Women face obstacles in bid for Libyan presidency

Libyans are going to the polls to elect their president for the first time. By Nov. 22, the deadline for submitting candidacy papers, the total number of people running for the country's top position reached 98 individuals — in a country of 6.5 million people and less than 3 million eligible voters.

The field includes personalities from all walks of life, including Libya’s top comedian, current and former prime ministers, and former and current parliament speakers. The late Muammer Gaddhafi’s son, Saif Al-Islam, his father’s former secretary, Bashir Saleh, and a Gaddhafi-era minister all have joined the race. General Khalifa Hifter, the dominant force in eastern Libya, also hopes to win the presidency through the ballot box.

But on Nov. 24, the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) disqualified 25 candidates, reducing the list to 73. Different reasons were listed against each rejected candidate, including judicial issues and dual citizenship of another country, which Libyan law does not allow for any public officeholder. 

Candidates’ vetting process and background checks are carried out by different state departments such as the Prosecutor General’s office, the Passport Authority, the Criminal investigation Department, and the secret services. For example Gaddhafi and Saleh, were disqualified because they were both found to have a final court verdict, contravening a clause that bars any convicted person from standing for elections.