Saif al Islam Gaddafi traveled to Egypt before submitting candidacy for presidential polls– reports

Saif al Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and candidate for December 24 presidential elections in the oil-rich country, had traveled to Egypt to get the backing of President Abdelfattah al-Sisi prior to submitting his candidacy for the polls, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reports.

The Qatari media citing informed Libyan sources aware of communication between Egypt and Libyan parties, notes that Saif al Islam met with President al-Sisi and  Chief of Egyptian Intelligence Abbas Kamel during a meeting arranged by former Libyan-Egyptian coordinator Ahmed Gaddaf Al-Dam.

The son of the former Libyan leader sought Egypt’s support and promised “a part of the cake of Libya reconstruction projects and exported oil” if elected, the sources told the media.

 

Saif al Islam submitted his bid for the election mid-last month but the electoral commission disqualified him over a set of irregularities. However,  a local appeal court reinstated early this week the bid after the presidential hopeful lodged appeal.

Egypt reportedly played a key role putting Saif al Islam back in the race as Gaddaf Al-Dam who was crucial in this process, threatened to resort to violence and arms if Saif was disqualified.

Cairo is not clear on its position on which side to back in the Libyan elections. The Arab country has fallen out with its protégé, Khalifa Haftar, also vetted for the election. Cairo reportedly is at odds with Haftar over attempt by the warlord to agree with the UAE on certain issues without prior consultation with Egypt.

Both Saif al Islam and Khaftar are accused of crimes, the first during the 2011 uprising against his father and the second for his year-long 2019-2020 offensive to overrun capital Tripoli.

The US wants elections to go through in Libya on the condition that neither Haftar nor Gaddafi are involved, the Qatari media further notes citing the Egyptian sources.

 

Washington, an Egyptian source added, will probably deal with Saif with reservations and indirectly if ever he becomes Libya’s president.