Libyan comedian El Kor launches bid for president
Elections planned in December as part of UN-backed process to end decade of conflict
Cairo: Libyan comedian Hatem El Kor has announced his intention to run in the country’s presidential election scheduled for December.
The actor announced the bid in an online video, urging Libyans to vote for him in the December 24 polls.
“I nominate myself although I know it is difficult to reach presidency. I can understand astonishment of many at my nomination, being a simple man and an artist,” El Kor said.
He added that his nomination bid aims to change the strife-ridden country “for the better”.
“I do not belong to the political class. But through my artistic career, I have been in close touch with people,” the 49-year-old actor added.
Earlier this week, an electoral commission said it plans to open registration for presidential and parliamentary elections in mid-November.
The election is seen as a major step in a UN-supported process to re-establish stability in the North African country, which has descended in chaos since the 2011 armed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.