The son of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi appeared on Sunday (November 14) for the first time in nearly ten years. He was registered as a presidential candidate and participated in the December voting plan to help end his father’s Years of chaos since the overthrow.
Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, 49 years old, dressed in a traditional brown robe, headscarf, gray beard and glasses, appeared in a video of the Election Committee in a southern town The election center in Sabha signs the document.
Gaddafi is one of the most prominent and controversial figures expected to run for president. The list also includes Eastern Military Commander Khalifa Haftar, Prime Minister Abdulhamid Debeba and Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh.
But even though his name is one of Libya’s most famous figures, and although he played an important role in policy-making before the NATO-backed uprising destroyed his family power in 2011, he has almost never People showed up.
Since he was arrested in a battle in 2011, the only time his compatriots in Libya saw him publicly was when he appeared in a Tripoli court via a video link and sentenced him to death for war crimes.
Despite this ruling, he never left the mountainous Zintan region, beyond the order of the Tripoli authorities, where his kidnappers later allowed him to be released.
He formally participated in the election, and his rules are still being questioned by the quarreling factions in Libya. This may also raise new questions about a campaign featuring candidates, which is considered unacceptable in some areas.
The Libyan military prosecutor is responsible to the Ministry of Defense of the Tripoli Unified Government and confirmed that he has sent a letter to the Election Commission requesting the suspension of Gaddafi’s candidacy.
Although most Libyan factions and foreign powers openly supported the December 24 elections, the voting remains questionable due to the constant quarrels between rival entities over rules and timetables.
An important meeting in Paris on Friday agreed to sanction anyone who disrupted or prevented voting, but in less than six weeks, there was still no agreement on rules governing who should be able to stand in elections.
Although Gaddafi is likely to miss the era before the 2011 uprising, which swept through his father’s power and ushered in a decade of chaos and violence, analysts say he may not prove to be the front runner.
Many Libyans still remember that the Gaddafi era was one of the harsh dictatorships, and that Saif Islam and other former regime figures have lost power for so long, they may find it difficult to mobilize as much support as their main rivals. .
However, after his announcement, Gaddafi supporters staged demonstrations in his hometown of Sirte and the former Gaddafi stronghold in Bani Walid.
Muammar Gaddafi was captured by opposition fighters on the outskirts of Sirte in October 2011 and was shot dead immediately. A few days later, Saif Islam was captured by Zintan militants while trying to flee Libya to Niger.
A sort ofAmbition
Only more than ten years later, Saif Islam has now become a code for Libyans. The Zintan fighters have kept him out of the public eye for many years, and his views on this crisis are unknown.
Earlier this year, he accepted an interview with The New York Times, but has not yet appeared publicly to talk directly with Libyans.
After being convicted in 2015, he may face arrest or other dangers if he makes a public appearance in the capital, Tripoli. He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court.
Saif al-Islam was educated at the London School of Economics and speaks fluent English. He was regarded by many governments as an acceptable and Western-friendly face in Libya and a possible heir.
But when the rebellion against Muammar Gaddafi’s long-term rule broke out in 2011, Saif Islam immediately chose loyalty to his family and clan instead of his many friendships in the West, he told Reuters Social Television: “We are fighting here in Libya; we are dying here in Libya.”
