Gaddafi announced on 22 March 2018 from Tunis that he will run for the post of president in the [[2019 Libyan general election|next Libyan general election]] under the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya]] (PFLL). Ayman Abu Ras, a spokesperson for the party, said that Gaddafi wished to focus on a programme of "reform" focused on reconstruction projects that would benefit all Libyans.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Crilly |first1=Rob |title=Gaddafi's son Saif 'to run for Libyan president' in 2018 elections |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/20/gaddafis-son-saif-run-libyan-president-2018-elections/ |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=20 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to run for Libya president |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saif-al-islam-gaddafi-run-libya-president |website=Middle East Eye |language=en}}</ref>
==Revelations of Russian attempt to bring Saif to power==
In September, 2019, documents obtained by the Daily Beast, and also the Dossier Center and Russian news site Proekt (Project), revealed that Russia been had running a campaign to bolster Saif's image in Libya following his family's fall from power and that agents from Russia's [[Wagner Group]] had personally traveled to Libya to bolster Saif.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/russias-wagner-mercenaries-have-moved-into-libya-good-luck-with-that|title=Russia’s Wagner Mercenaries Have Moved Into Libya. Good Luck With That.|first1=Michael|last1=Weiss|first2=Pierre|last2=Vaux|publisher=Daily Beast|date=28 September 2019|accessdate=20 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=russiarevealed /> In March 2020, documents leaked to Bloomberg News revealed that the Russian government had in fact been involved in operations to bring Saif to power in Libya and that Saif obtained assistance from Maxim Shugaley, a veteran Saint Petersburg elections consultant, and his translator and colleague, Samir Seifan.<ref name=russiarevealed /> Both Shugaley and Seifan, who were experts in "troll farming" campaign tactics, were arrested in Libya in May 2019, though news of their arrests were not reported until July 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://technology.inquirer.net/88667/russians-with-links-to-infamous-troll-farm-arrested-in-libya|title=Russians with links to infamous troll farm arrested in Libya|author=Associated Press|publisher=Philippine Inquirer|date=6 July 2019|accessdate=20 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/07/10/the-evolution-of-a-russian-troll-russia-libya-detained-tripoli/|title=The Evolution of a Russian Troll|first=Amy|last=MacKinnon|publisher=Foreign Policy|date=10 July 2019|accessdate=20 March 2020}}</ref> It was also revealed that Putin financier [[Yevgeny Prigozhin]], who has also been described as "Putin's chef," was financing Saif's bid to win the Libyan Presidency.<ref name=russiarevealed>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-03-20/how-a-russian-plan-to-restore-qaddafi-s-libyan-regime-backfired|title=How a Russian Plan to Restore Qaddafi’s Regime Backfired|first=Samer|last=Al-Atrush|publisher=Bloomberg News|date=20 March 2020|accessdate=20 March 2020}}</ref>
