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Journalism of Courage
Muammar al-Gaddafi is gone,but hes around. The 41-year-old Gaddafi regime in Libya has effectively lost power,notwithstanding Gaddafis defiant speech after the fall of his Bab al-Aziziya compound. But the fight isnt over. The thrust of the rebels must now be to find Gaddafi,so that the formation of loyalist pockets of resistance is stopped and order restored to Tripoli. However,the challenges of nation-building begin right after relative peace is back on the streets.
Libyans expectations weigh against those in rebel militias,who may feel entitled to the spoils. The task of the National Transitional Council (NTC) will be to not only preclude reprisals against Gaddafi loyalists but also widen its ambit,bringing in loyalists and tribes in the west and south,much less represented in the largely east-based NTC. So far,only the goal of ousting Gaddafi has united the disparate rebel factions. If the NTC,itself divided,doesnt move quickly,post-Gaddafi Libya will be stillborn. Moreover,unlike Egypt,the NTC isnt inheriting any institution or bureaucracy to speak of.
Yet,unlike Egypt,the NTC has done remarkable homework. Its interim constitutional declaration provides legal cover to the transition,with elections to a constituent assembly in eight months,which will appoint an interim government and draft a constitution. This is against the backdrop of the end of pan-Arabism,as the NTC plans to drop Arab from the countrys formal name,keeping in mind minorities like the Berbers,while the declaration makes only a moderate reference to Islam. Once a referendum ratifies the constitution,direct elections are envisaged within 20 months. To succeed,this political transition will need economic reforms and re-stabilisation of the oil industry. As the world welcomes the change,it must also help Libyans rebuild and redefine their nation.
