Jamahiriya's son will run in the presidential election
Libya's overthrown son Muammar Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam, has registered his candidacy for president. The presidential election scheduled for December is set to end decades of chaos and fratricidal conflicts on Libyan soil.
Photo: ru.wikipedia.org Margarita Arredondas.
Gaddafi's 49-year-old graying son appeared in a video taken at the Sebha election commission in an unusual form. Instead of the usual European costume in previous years, he wore a traditional Libyan raincoat and a turban on his head.
Seif al-Islam Gaddafi is one of the most controversial figures expected to run for Libyan president, Reuters reports. Also on the list are Marshal Khalifa Haftar, Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al-Dbeiba and Speaker Aguila Saleh.
Although Gaddafi's junior name is one of the best known in Libya, and although it once played an important role in policy-making ahead of the 2011 events that overthrew his father's government with NATO support, it was almost never seen. ten years. p>
Fluent in English and educated at the London School of Economics, Seif al-Islam and fluent in English, he was once seen abroad as an acceptable West-friendly figure and a possible heir to Muammar Gaddafi. In the past, the BBC recalls, he belonged to his father's closest circle, dealing primarily with public relations and diplomacy. At the same time, Seif al-Islam has publicly rejected Elder Gaddafi's offer to hold the official post, although in reality he has served as prime minister.
Seif al-Islam expressed hope that he could unite Libya. While Gaddafi's son is likely to play nostalgia for the peaceful and stable Jamahiriya era, analysts say he may not be among the leaders in the vote. Many Libyans see Muammar Gaddafi's era as an era of harsh autocracy, Reuters notes, while Seif al-Islam has been without power for so long that it may be difficult for him to mobilize the same support as his main rivals. P>
Recall that Gaddafi the Younger was once captured by militants from the mountainous region of Zintan when he tried to flee Libya to Niger. This happened a few days after his father, Muammar Gaddafi, was captured by armed opposition fighters near his hometown of Sirte in October 2011 and brutally killed without trial. Seif al-Islam has been out of public view for several years. He gave an interview to the New York Times earlier this year, but has not yet made a public statement and has turned directly to the Libyans.
Gaddafi Jr.'s presidential ambitions are complicated by the fact that he appeared in absentia. in 2015 before a Tripoli court (he himself appeared via a video link from Zintana), which sentenced him to death for war crimes, including the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising. will appear publicly in the capital Tripoli, although the death sentence was later overturned. The International Criminal Court is also looking for him.
Despite public support from most Libyan factions and foreign powers for the December 24 election, the vote remains controversial as rival forces argue over its rules and schedule.