MUAMMAR GaddafiÂ’s son has stated only the obvious when he said the other day that his country lacked a free Press and proper form of democracy. His promise, on an optimistic note, is that a new plan currently under way will evaluate the past and start anew with a new determination and new strategy.Dear readers, Libya has come some way, and not a long way, since it gave up its plans for nuclear and chemical weapons three years ago and bought peace with the West. That was the turn-around that led to full restoration of diplomatic relations with the US earlier this year. Yet, the changes within remained both cosmetic and half-hearted, as was seen from the firing of a reform-minded prime minister in March last.
Saif Al Islam, clearly, is more realistic as compared to Gaddafi — who mostly lived in a world of illusion; and hence his claim a while ago that his country was the only real democracy in the world, where, according to him, ‘fake’ and ‘farcical’ parliamentary and representative democracy prevailed.
Much of the world however looks at Libya as a military dictatorship, simply for the reason that dissent is not allowed in his so-called democracy, and the human rights scenario remains questionable. If son SaifÂ’s new plan aims at reforms, both political and economic, that will be a real step forward.
Clearly, SaifÂ’s speech has only reflected the general mood of the nation. GaddafiÂ’s socialism and the governance on the lines of his Green Book are seen by many Libyans as being outdated. This is for the reason that the countryÂ’s enormous oil wealth and its geographically ideal location abutting the Mediterranean Sea have not translated themselves into a winning combination for the nation and the people.
LibyaÂ’s beauteous beaches could have attracted millions of tourists but for the lack of infrastructure and the isolation that Libya had to contend with for the past several years. That would have given LibyaÂ’s economy a big boost, and fetched jobs and income for its people. With unemployment currently running at over 13 per cent, the economy cannot be said to be in any good shape. Nor can Gaddafi claim to have worked wonders.
Dear readers, Saif seeks, and rightly so, a seriousness in the implementation of the new plan. In the least, it must make sure that Libya changes with the times. Simply put, Libyans seek a happier existence: they want a constitution that will guarantee them the basic rights, which also include freedom of expression and freedom of Press.
After all, how long can a nation go on and on with socialistic controls that retarded progress, on the one side, and curbs on freedom, on the other, that allowed no more than the state-owned media that sings praise of Gaddafi and the government? LibyaÂ’s governance should be guided by a sense of realism.