News Analysis: Gaddafi's son Saif to run for Libyan president in 2018 elections, yet faces obstacles

TRIPOLI, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's most prominent son, announced Monday his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections.

His candidacy was announced by Ayman Boras, director of his political reform program at a press conference in Tunis, who said that Saif al-Islam will present his electoral plan to the Libyan people in a televised speech in the next few days, and confirmed that Saif al-Islam is free and did not leave Libya.

Although the announcement brings glimpses of hope to the supporters of the former regime, Saif al-Islam's return to Libya's political scene is confronted with different forms of difficulties.

LEGAL OBSTACLES

Saif al-Islam, 46, is now wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for charges of crimes against humanity during his father's efforts to put down the 2011 rebellion against his rule.

He was sentenced in absentia in July 2015 to death by the Tripoli Court of Appeal for genocide, hiring mercenaries, and forming armed groups during the 2011 uprising that overthrew his father's rule.

The Libyan eastern-based Parliament passed an amnesty law later in 2015 for all Libyans since Feb. 15, 2011 until the date of the declaration of the law.

The armed group loyal to the eastern-based authorities, which was detaining Saif, released him "in compliance with the general amnesty law passed by Parliament." Saif's whereabouts remains unknown.

Immediately after his release, the ICC requested assistance in the arrest of him to be brought to trial.

"All of these are problems that must be addressed before thinking about returning to politics, because this will make him face fierce attacks," said Ibtisam Mahmoud, former Libyan legal adviser.

STILL HAVING SUPPORTERS

"Saif al-Islam enjoys populous support among the Libyan people, despite attempts to distort his image over the past few years to show him as a criminal who killed Libyans during the February 17 uprising against Muammar," said Mohammed al-Najah, a leader of Saif al-Islam's "Libya Tomorrow" reform project launched in 2006.

"Whenever he makes a speech or calls for a reconciliation meeting or the like, everyone will gather around and listen to him," al-Najah told Xinhua.

Saif al-Islam criticized his father's political system, and attempted to liberate Libya from the international isolation due to the regime's anti-American and anti-Western policies. He called for a political transition from what he described as "Libya's revolution" to "Libya the state."

REJECTED BY INT'L COMMUNITY

The international community does not show signs of acceptance of Saif al-Islam's return.

UN Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame, said in a press statement in 2017 that he did not seek to meet Saif al-Islam, as he is wanted by the ICC.

Observers said Salame's stance shows that the international community lacks interest for offering any role for Saif al-Islam in the future. However, his stance may change if all efforts to end the political crisis in Libya fail.

Mohamed Abdullah, a member of the eastern-based Parliament, said that Saif al-Islam remains an influential figure in Libya to secure the interests of certain countries.

If the current international mediation efforts fail to end the political conflicts here, certain countries might resort to Saif to intervene and control things in Libya, Abdullah said in an interview with Xinhua.

Abdullah noted that "the current situation here is complex and challenging, but there is still possibility that major political changes may occur during the next few months and there may even be reconciliation between supporters of the regime and the rebellion."

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is seeking to support the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections before the end of September 2018, in accordance with an action plan proposed by Salame in November 2017 to end the political crisis in Libya. Enditem