Aisha Gaddafi Tops Poll on 'Best Candidate' to Lead Libya

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In a development that brings the name of the late Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's family back into the Libyan political scene, Aisha Gaddafi topped a poll regarding the "best candidate" to lead Libya, coinciding with rising popular calls for her to take over the leadership of the former regime's movement following her late brother Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.

The final results of the September poll showed Aisha Gaddafi leading by a margin of 30,227 votes over her closest competitor, as she received 141,502 votes out of a total participation exceeding 549,954 votes, while the platform confirmed that the voting is unofficial and does not represent elections or a referendum.

At the same time, calls emerged among supporters of the former regime, demanding Aisha Gaddafi to lead the popular current after the departure of Saif al-Islam, who had been for years the most prominent political figure associated with the current and its supporters.

In this context, the "Women of Fezzan" organization announced its support for Aisha Gaddafi to take the lead, and a similar statement was issued by the "Free Women of Fezzan" branch, while the "National Popular Movement" affiliated with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi pledged allegiance to Aisha to lead the former regime's current and continue what her brother started.

In a comment on these movements, Ashraf Abdel Fattah, a member of the Supreme Council of Tribes, stated in a statement to "Al-Arabiya.net" and "Al-Hadath.net" that wide segments of the components of the popular current see Aisha Gaddafi as the "most deserving" to lead the current, considering "the respect she enjoys among the tribes, cities, and broad components of supporters of the popular system."

Abdel Fattah added that recent opinion polls showed "the level of love and respect that Aisha enjoys among a segment of Libyans," considering that this indicates the presence of her name, but he emphasized that the issue of her acceptance of this role or rejection of it remains linked to her decision.

The killing of Saif al-Islam last February opened a vacuum within the ranks of the supporters of the former regime, given the status he held among them and being the figure associated with the political return project of the former regime, especially after his candidacy for the presidential elections that could not be held in 2021.

In her comment on topping the poll results, Aisha Gaddafi stated in a statement published on the page speaking for the family of the late Muammar Gaddafi that the result "cannot be reduced to numbers."

She said that behind every vote there is "support and responsibility," and she called for overcoming the divisions that have been associated with the post-2011 phase, stating: "We must move beyond the language of I am the September current and you are February; from here we have become you and I."

The emergence of Aisha Gaddafi in the polls, along with calls for her to be given a leadership role, opens a new discussion about the future of the supporters of the former regime, and whether Gaddafi's daughter will accept the transition from a symbolic presence to a direct political role, amid the ongoing political division that Libya has been experiencing for years.