Editorial: Libya turns new page Friday, 21 October 2011 05:39

A new dawn awaits Libyans. Muammar Gaddafi is no more and the country is now liberated. “This is a momentous day in the history of Libya, the dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted,” US President Barack Obama said. World leaders hailed the death of Gaddafi as the end of an era of despotism and tyranny, and held out hope for a better future for the north African nation. Gaddafi ruled his North African country for 42 years before being ousted in August. Renowned for his flamboyant dress sense and rambling rhetoric, the embattled Libyan leader, 69, came up against an unprecedented challenge to his rule after anti-regime protests erupted on February 15. The end of Gaddafi will ratchet up the pressure on other leaders currently under siege, including Syria’s Bashar Al Assad.

Now the hard task: Rebuilding the nation. It has been more than one month since the United Nations officially recognised the National Transitional Council.  The capture of Sirte and the death of Gaddafi means the ruling NTC should now begin the task of forging a new democratic system. Sanctions have been eased. Libya has resumed oil production and exports. Sirte once had 100,000 inhabitants, almost all of whom have fled. Fierce artillery battles and heavy gunfire over the past month have not left a single building intact, while looting has become commonplace.

The most important test for the interim National Transitional Council is to ensure that lingering pro-Gaddafi forces are prevented from launching any rearguard guerrilla insurgency. One of Gaddafi’s most politically influential sons, Saif Al Islam, and his security chief Abdullah Sanussi are apparently still at large and may still be able to recruit armed followers. Another test for the council will be to manage the enormous expectations of Libya’s 6 million people, now freed definitively from the fear that Gaddafi could ever reimpose his strongman rule. According to the democracy outline, the council aims to shift its headquarters from Benghazi to Tripoli and form a transitional government within 30 days. A 200-member national conference is to be elected within 240 days, and this will appoint a prime minister a month later who will nominate his government. The national conference is to be given deadlines to oversee the drafting of a new constitution and the holding of elections for a parliament.

The need of the hour is that the country’s interim rulers must stick to their plan to hold elections within eight months. Tribal differences exist, and Libya needs to find unity between its east and west.  The road ahead for Libya and its people will be difficult and full of challenges, but with existing wealth of about $140bn, Libya can easily build a new model for its economy and politics — with everything on the table, from a republic to a constitutional monarchy.