Published on November 15, 2021

Saif al-Islam GADDAFI

Photo’s source: www. Wikipedia,com

On November 14^th, 2021, Saif al-Islam GADDAFI, son of former Libyan ruler GADDAFI, submitted his application to run in Libya’s upcoming presidential election, according to local media.

The news website Al-Marsad published on Facebook a video of Saif al-Islam in the office of the elections commission in the southwestern city of Sabha, where he presented his application.

The presidential and parliamentary elections are set to take place on December 24, 2021 under an UN-sponsored agreement reached by Libyan political rivals during meetings in Tunisia on November 5, 2020.

On November 8, 2021, the electoral commission opened registration for candidates in the polls despite ongoing tensions between the parliament, the High Council of State, and the unity government regarding electoral powers and laws.

Gaddafi is one of the most important figures expected to run for president. The list of candidates includes Khalifa HAFTAR, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid DBEIBAH and parliament Speaker Aguila SALEH.

The elections are expected as a key moment in a UN backed peace process to end a decade of violent chaos that has drawn in regional powers since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar GADDAFI.

Saif al-Islam GADDAFI, educated at the London School of Economics and a fluent English speaker, was once seen by many governments as the acceptable, Western-friendly face of Libya, and a possible heir apparent.

But when in 2011 the uprising broke out against Muammar GADDAFI’s long rule, Saif al-Islam immediately chose family and clan loyalties over his many friendships in the West, telling Reuters television: “We fight here in Libya; we die here in Libya.”

This article was edited using the data from the Reuters.com, Aljazeera.com, Bbc.com, Aa.com.tr, and Abc.net.au