Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to run for 2018 presidential election

CAIRO – 17 December 2017: “Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the former Libyan president, enjoys the support of major tribes in Libya so he can run for the upcoming presidential elections due in 2018,” said Libyan Tribal Chief and spokesperson of the Gaddafi family, Basem al-Hashimi al-Soul told Egypt Today.

“Saif al-Islam will run for the upcoming presidential elections which may take place in mid-2018,” al-Soul revealed to Egypt Today.

Al-Soul told Egypt Today that Saif al-Islam has prepared his platform which he intends to declare soon. “The platform includes some procedures that Saif al-Islam hopes the United Nations would adopt to help Libya move from the incumbent transitional period to stability.”

“Saif al-Islam plans to impose more security and stability in accordance with the Libyan geography and in coordination with all Libyan factions,” al-Soul manifested.

Presidential elections in Libya may be held in mid-2018, the Libyan Government of National Accord’s (GNA) Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala said Wednesday at the Valdai Club panel discussion in Russia. “We believe that presidential elections will be held in the middle of 2018,” Siala told foreign reporters.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria have convened in Tunisia on Saturday to resume discussions over the security and political developments of Libya. Libya has become the largest security threat facing the Egyptian state, along with Tunisia and Algeria. The frequent failures of international reconciliation attempts and the fall of weapons into the hands of different militant groups forced Egypt to play a major role in solving the Libyan crises.

Last week, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi met with Libya’s Chairman of the Presidential Council Fayez al-Sarraj and discussed political accords necessary to preserve Libya’s unity and integrity.

The meeting was attended by high-profile leaders from both sides, namely Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Taher, Libyan Minister of Finance Osama Hammad, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Minister of Finance Amr el-Garhy, Egypt’s Intelligence Chief Khalid Fawzy and the Egyptian ambassador to Libya.

Egypt’s presidential spokesperson, Bassam Rady, said that Egypt welcomes the frequent meetings of the Libyan military commanders in Cairo; he also stressed that Egypt confronts foreign proposals aimed at intervening in Libya’s domestic affairs.

“Sisi and Sarraj tackled means of cooperation between the two countries in combating terrorism and boosting international endeavors for developing a comprehensive strategy against terrorism,” the statement read.

In December 2015, 22 Libyan parliamentarians signed the Skhirat Agreement in Morocco, to end the civil war which erupted in Libya in 2014. The Skhirat Agreement was put into practice on April 6, 2016.

The Government of National Accord, led by Fayez al-Sarraj was the first concrete outcome from the Skhirat Agreement. The first meeting of the cabinet of the Government of National Accord took place on January 2, 2016 in Tunisia.