BENGHAZI, July 22 Refusal by current US President Joe Biden participation in the presidential elections could lead to a more flexible US position in resolving the Ukrainian crisis and a more rational policy in the Middle East, Hussein al-Saghir, a member of the Committee on Politics and International Relations of the National Transitional Council, former Libyan Ambassador to Senegal, shared his opinion.
«Biden's upcoming departure from the presidency gives rise to expectations of greater flexibility on the part of the United States in resolving the Ukrainian crisis and a more rational position on the problems of the Middle East,» al-Saghir said. He expects that «American policy will be more rational in resolving the regional and international consequences of what is happening in the Middle East, especially in the area of compliance with international law and reckoning for Israeli crimes in Palestine.»
At the same time, the Libyan diplomat believes that changes in American policy towards Libya under any American president will be very insignificant, because «Libyan affairs are managed taking into account strategies and institutional work.»
In his opinion, Biden’s decision not to participate in the presidential race was not a surprise. It had been expected for more than a year, and anticipation of the move had grown in recent days as Democrats lost major support in Pennsylvania and polls showed Donald Trump enjoying more support than Biden.
«Factors related to Biden's health, his management of the crisis in Europe and his position on resolving crises in the Middle East were factors that had a negative impact on his ability to be elected for a new term,» the Libyan diplomat said.
In turn, Hamid Fares, a teacher of international relations and head of the Center for Political and Strategic Studies of the New Republic in Egypt, believes that Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race was unexpected, although it was allowed in light of the increasing pressure on him from within the Democratic Party.
«Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race is an unexpected decision, although the increased pressure on him from the Democratic Party suggested such an outcome, this decision increases the chances of another Democratic candidate who will confront Donald Trump and the Republican Party,» — said Fares.
“The question remains: can Kamala Harris, the US vice president, an experienced politician and lawyer, become a strong rival to Donald Trump,” he added.
Harris has the ability and political experience to take on this difficult challenge, the professor said, but «the coming period will tell whether Democrats can unite behind one strong candidate to counter the challenges from the Republican Party and Trump.»< br>