Muammar Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi registered as a candidate to participate in the country’s “first direct presidential election” scheduled for next month.
The son of Libya’s ex-ruler has shown that politics runs in the bloodline as he wishes to follow his father footsteps and assume the high office. During Muammar Gaddafi’s reign, Saif was seen propagating policies in support of his father. Political analysts noted that his “support for a brutal crackdown on protesters 10 years ago tarnished his image”.
Muammar Gaddafi was described as a dictator who was violating people’s rights and walking all over the country’s judicial system. He was fingered in many crimes against humanity, and most politicians, especially from the West, did not have any kind words for him. After what seemed like political awareness of the Libyans, various protests were carried out, and former president Gaddafi had to implement stern methods to curb any uprising. His son backed him up, and they exerted an iron hand upon the public. Muammar was dealt with by mob justice, and his son was caught by a militia for over six years. A death sentence was handed over to Saif but overturned after a significant amount of time.
It was noted that the country had never experienced peace since the 2011 uprising, and it has been marred by conflict for a very long time. Due to the instability witnessed, some citizens started alluding to the nation’s state when Gaddafi was still their leader and had a nostalgic feeling. Because of political disturbances and corrupt tendencies, some parties noted how worried they were about the fairness of the upcoming elections. It was reported that “Rights groups have raised fears the vote, scheduled for 24 December, will not be free and fair” [Source]. Some world leaders and the UN secretary-general issued serious warnings to people who might temper the elections’ results and influence the outcome.
Videos were posted online showing Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi arriving in Sebha, where he registered to become a presidential candidate [Source]. Such a sight took all the spotlight when people saw Gaddafi’s son registering to participate in the December elections, and sympathisers of his father probably saw a reflection of their history. The videos show Saif with a long beard and wearing the traditional robe of Libyan clothing.
In his public address, he read a Koran verse translated to “judge between us and our people in truth”. He also alluded to another verse stating that “God always prevails in his purpose, even if the unbelievers hate it”. To onlookers, it seems as if the aspiring president was ascertaining dominance over enemies and projecting a win in his first presidential run.
The International Criminal Court is pursuing Saif for war crimes, and he was staying away from the public’s eye, only to re-emerge this month with aspirations of leading his nation. He will be competing against warlord Khalifa Haftar, Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah and parliament speaker Aguila Saleh.
Khalifa Haftar Abdulhamid Mohammed Al-Dabaiba Aguila Saleh
Various views were aired out in relation to Saif’s bid, with others arguing that he was considered a viable candidate in previous years. However, some believe that people’s hearts are still soaring from the political turmoil he enacted, and his candidacy will propel political instability in the country. BBC’s Middle East editor Sebastian Usher said Saif’s conduct in the past is still fresh in people’s minds, which is likely to hinder victory in the elections. Concerns were raised over his political ideologies, and analysts were worried that he might adopt his father’s conduct since he had a hand during his leadership. Currently, Libya is under the rule of an interim government that has failed to bring complete sanity. BBC News posited that “Disagreement between Libya’s political bodies and opposing factions about the election rules and the schedule have threatened to derail the presidential vote”.
BBC Monitoring Amira Fathalla found out that Libyans have divided opinions regarding Saif’s moves, and one can argue that Saif does have supporters who can vote for him. It seems like he might be among those expected to win the elections.