{"id":1017593,"date":"2021-11-16T00:29:15","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T05:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1017593"},"modified":"2021-11-16T00:29:18","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T05:29:18","slug":"libya-flamboyant-qaddafi-son-announces-presidential-candidacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/libya-flamboyant-qaddafi-son-announces-presidential-candidacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Libya: Flamboyant Qaddafi Son Announces Presidential Candidacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flibya-flamboyant-qaddafi-son-announces-presidential-candidacy%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1017593&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/AP21318422987545-640x335-1.png\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\"><span>Seif al-Islam Qaddafi, son of deposed and slain Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, filed the paperwork on Sunday to stand as a presidential candidate in Libya\u2019s presidential election next month.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It was the younger Qaddafi\u2019s first public appearance in years. He was captured during the 2011 civil war that overthrew his father, sentenced to death for war crimes, and released after six years. He is still <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/libyas-seif-al-islam-gaddafi-presidential-hopeful-and-icc-war-crime-suspect\/\"><span>wanted<\/span><\/a><span> by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>Seif al-Islam, whose name means \u201cSword of Islam,\u201d was actually <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-africa-14617511\"><span>seen<\/span><\/a><span> as a youthful reformist leader during the latter years of his father\u2019s reign. He became a key figure in negotiations with foreign powers, including the talks that persuaded the Qaddafi regime to abandon its quest for nuclear weapons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Many of his admirers were dismayed when he emerged as a fiery defender of Moammar Qaddafi\u2019s despotic rule during the 2011 uprisings, appearing on state television to swear bloody revenge against rebels and traitors.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"5.8917525773196\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Video: Saif Al-Islam <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Gaddafi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Gaddafi<\/a> files his presidential <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/elections?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#elections<\/a> candidacy at HNEC center in Sabha in south <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Libya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Libya<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eC8QGlNRIn\">pic.twitter.com\/eC8QGlNRIn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Libya Alahrar (@LibyaalahrarEN) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LibyaalahrarEN\/status\/1459829666517340160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 14, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>The ICC, which declined to comment on Seif al-Islam\u2019s presidential campaign announcement, seeks to prosecute him for the \u201cmurder and persecution\u201d of Moammar Qaddafi\u2019s political opponents. An ICC official <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/africa-libya-middle-east-elections-presidential-elections-7232b388722e5526e410633e62d3d763\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> on Monday the warrant for Seif\u2019s arrest is still active.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Seif had the good fortune to be captured after the fall of Muammar Qaddafi by an independent militia that did not recognize the Tripoli government\u2019s death sentence against him. When he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/07\/30\/magazine\/qaddafi-libya.html\">told<\/a> the <\/span><i><span>New York Times<\/span><\/i> <span>in July that he planned a political comeback, he was confident all of his domestic and international legal problems could be \u201cnegotiated away\u201d if the Libyan people chose him as a leader.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Reuters<\/span><span> on Sunday <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/africa\/son-former-libyan-ruler-gaddafi-runs-president-officials-say-2021-11-14\/\">judged<\/a> Seif to be \u201cone of the most prominent \u2013 and controversial \u2013 figures expected to run for president,\u201d which is really saying something since another <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2021\/09\/10\/libyan-warlord-haftar-hires-former-clinton-aide-as-lobbyist\/\"><span>prospective candidate<\/span><\/a><span> is Khalifa Haftar, the warlord who laid siege to Tripoli a few years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The <\/span><span>BBC<\/span><span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-africa-59280215\">suspected<\/a> \u201cmemories in Libya are likely still too raw for him to win the presidency,\u201d but warned his candidacy will attract enough support and controversy to \u201cfurther complicate the already fragile electoral process.\u201d Muammar Qaddafi invested great effort in cultivating tribal allegiances to maintain power and many of those connections will have been passed along to his son.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Seif showed up at a High National Electoral Commission office in the southern Libyan city of Sebha to register, clad in a traditional Libyan robe and turban, reciting phrases from the Quran such as \u201cAllah always prevails in his purpose, even if the unbelievers hate it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Muammar Gaddafi&#039;s son Seif al-Islam registers to run for president of Libya \u2022 FRANCE 24 English\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7DYTBGDfVTE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIf nothing else, Seif has inherited his father\u2019s sense of theater,\u201d the <\/span><i><span>NYT <\/span><\/i><span>opined in its July interview.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Libyan presidential election is scheduled for December 24, although the <\/span><i><span>Financial Times<\/span><\/i> <span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/c4d46413-953d-45f8-9df3-38c929966b40\">wondered<\/a> on Monday if Seif al-Islam Qaddafi\u2019s entry might cause enough unrest to scuttle the election entirely:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"19\">\n<p><span>Wolfram Lacher, Libya analyst at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said Saif al-Islam\u2019s candidacy could spur other powerful figures and would-be candidates who are seeking to postpone or scuttle the election to intensify their efforts. There are disputes between political forces in eastern and western Libya over the legal framework governing the poll \u2014 something that could signal that the losing side will refuse to accept the results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cA big part of the opposition to the poll from political forces, especially in western Libya, is that Saif, or Khalifa Haftar [the strongman controlling eastern Libya] would win,\u201d said Lacher. \u201cThere are also those politicians who are resisting the election because they want to hold on to their posts. I expect calls for a boycott of the election to get louder now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>On the other hand, Lacher thought Qaddafi might fade quickly once he begins speaking to the electorate: \u201cNo one really knows what he stands for today. For years he has been that figure on which people projected their hopes without his leading any sort of project.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThose who believe in the possibility of Libya\u2019s returning to the era of dictatorship after all these sacrifices, are delusional,\u201d Libyan legislator Abdel-Rahman el-Swahili scoffed in a Facebook post <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/africa-libya-middle-east-elections-presidential-elections-7232b388722e5526e410633e62d3d763\">quoted<\/a> by the <\/span><span>Associated Press<\/span><span> (AP).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cA group of elders and militia leaders in the western town of Zawiya also announced their rejection of the candidacies of Seif al-Islam and Hifter, warning about the return of civil war. They threatened in a statement to shut polling stations if the elections proceeded with the current laws,\u201d the AP reported.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seif al-Islam Qaddafi, son of deposed and slain Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, filed the paperwork on Sunday to stand as a presidential candidate in Libya\u2019s presidential election next month.\u00a0 It &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1017593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1017593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1017593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1017593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1017593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1017593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1017593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}