Libya's Parliament Speaker Submits Papers to Run for Presidential Elections

On Saturday, the speaker of the eastern-based Libyan parliament, Aguila Saleh, submitted papers to stand in presidential elections.

“I came today to the headquarters of the High National Elections Commission in Benghazi to submit the required documents for the nomination to the position of president of the Libyan state,” he said on Libya Votes TV.

“Public voting is the only source of legitimacy for any authority,” Saleh had said earlier on Wednesday in televised comments.

In recent days, two high profile but controversial candidates have submitted their candidacy for the Presidential elections, including the son of Libya’s long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saif Al-Islam, in the southern city of Sebha.

Leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar has also joined the presidential race this week from the eastern city of Benghazi.