Saif al-Islam, son of Libya’s former strongman Muammar Gaddafi, is mulling participation in next year elections as requested by his supporters, his spokesman has said.
“Saif al-Islam will run for the upcoming presidential elections, which may take place in mid-2018,” Basem al-Hashimi al-Soul told Egyptian Egypt Today newspaper.
“He enjoys the support of major tribes in Libya, so he can run.”
Saif Islam, 44, has reportedly settled in the eastern part of the country after he was granted amnesty in June by Zintan militia which were detaining him.
The second of Gaddafi’s eight sons was arrested in 2011 after his father was deposed and killed in a NATO-backed revolution.
He is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes committed during the revolution. He is also wanted a by Tripoli-based court aligned with UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).
The UN in September unveiled an action plan to clear the way for general elections late next year in view of electing new leaders.
Unveiling the action plan, the UN envoy to the country, Ghassan Salame noted that any Libyan can run for the elections including Saif al-Islam.
In October, Saif al-Islam’s lawyer Khalid Al-Zaidi told media that his client was preparing his political comeback.
The “Supreme Council of the Libyan Tribes”, a body that has remained faithful to Gaddafi’s regime, but that is not recognized by the international community, has chosen Gaddafi’s son as the legitimate representative of the country.
