Opinion: Is Libya Degaddafinated?
06/02/2012 14:07:00
By Gada Mahfud
The reasons for these delays are many. But I think that the largest obstacle is, that Libya is completely devoid of any governing mechanisms or civic institutions that can run the country. The tyrannical, one-band show tactics, that Gaddafi employed to run Libya, meant that once the country was degaddafinated, a large gaping power vacuum was created.
Though, the country is degaddafinated from Gaddafi’s presence, the mindset that he saddled the country with still lives on. The Libyan people have suffered many horrendous injustices under Gaddafi’s rule, which has made them very distrustful of any sort of authority. That is why they are not fully cooperating with the transitional authorities as much as they should, which is making life more difficult than it really is. It is proving counterproductive at a time when cooperation is desperately needed to keep the country on the right track.
During the Gaddafi era, Libya was suffering from a high unemployment rate particularly among young people. This is very peculiar in a country with such a low population. It was intentional, in order to demoralise the Libyan youth and prompt them, either to leave the country in search of a better life or stay in Libya and self-destruct. Little did Gaddafi know that, it is these same youths who would degaddafinate Libya and hammer in the final nails in his coffin. The government is now providing these youths with several employment opportunities according to their qualifications and their wishes in order to reward them for their efforts and sacrifices, and also to keep them out of trouble and integrate them back into society.
Gaddafi spent dirhams on Libya but pocketed billions of dinars in oil revenue. What one of his sons would spend on a birthday bash by flying in international stars to perform on his private yacht is bigger than the whole country’s budget for a year. ... But such delays were no surprise to Libyans if one recalls what one of the former dictator's sons, Muatassim once audaciously said, that is, that “what is below the ground, (in reference to Libya's oil) belongs to my father; and what is on the ground belongs to us'” referring to the various economical activities that were divided between himself and his siblings.
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