Hifter suspends duties ahead of Dec vote

Libya's powerful, eastbased commander announced he was suspending his role as leader of a self-styled Libyan army for the next three months - the clearest indication yet that he may be contemplating a run for president in December elections.

If he runs, commander Khalifa Hifter would be one of the frontrunners in the Dec. 24 vote but his candidacy is likely to stir controversy in western Libya and the capital of Tripoli, the stronghold of his opponents, mostly Islamists. Hifter's forces had besieged Tripoli in a yearlong campaign that tried to capture the city. The campaign ultimately failed last year, leading to U.N.-mediated talks and the formation of a transitional government charged with leading Libya until the parliamentary and presidential elections.

A statement from Hifter's office said he was delegating his military duties to his chief of staff, AbdelRazek al-Nadhouri, for three months, starting Thursday. Libya has been wracked by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The oil-rich nation had for years been split between a government in the east, backed by Hifter, and a U.N.-supported administration in Tripoli, aided by west-based Libyan militias. Each side has also had the support of mercenaries from countries such as Russia and Syria and different regional powers.

Libyan lawmakers passed a presidential election law earlier this month, requiring possible candidates for president to relinquish whatever office they hold 90 days before the vote. Lawmakers are still debating a bill regulating the parliamentary vote. However, lawmaker on Tuesday passed a vote of no confidence in the transitional government, impeding efforts to unite the oil-rich North African country and even throwing the long-waited elections into uncertainty.