Libya's Goldilocks election: 'Neither Islamist, nor liberal'
A coalition of parties that has eschewed labels and instead called for pragmatism won nearly half the party seats in Libya's new congress, according to results from the July 7 election.
A coalition of parties that has eschewed labels and instead called for pragmatism won nearly half the party seats in Libya's new congress, according to results from the July 7 election.
Today Libyans were digesting headlines that confirm what many suspected: electoral victory for a coalition of parties that has dodged labels while calling for national unity.
The National Forces Alliance coalition (NFA), led by former interim Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril, won nearly half of the seats reserved for parties in Libya鈥檚 new congress, according to results from July 7 elections that were聽released last night.
While media have trumpeted a liberal victory that bucks an Arab Spring trend of Islamist successes, some Libyans see things differently.
鈥淛ibril鈥檚 in the middle,鈥� says Ali al-Arabi, tending his cigarette shop in Tripoli鈥檚 bus station. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 what I want: someone who鈥檚 neither Islamist nor liberal.鈥�
Shunning both the liberal tag and its opposite in Libya, political Islam, Mr. Jibril has called for partnering with rivals 鈥� including a runner-up Islamist party 鈥� to form a government.
It is unclear how parties will respond, while independent candidates that hold 120 of the congress's 200 seats are still an unknown quantity.
For Mr. Arabi, cooperation is the best way to remake Libya following decades under the autocratic rule of Muammar Qaddafi, toppled by revolt last year.
鈥淲e have so many things that need to be set right,鈥� he says, sliding a pack of Marlboros across the counter to a customer. 鈥淟ike weapons 鈥� they should go to the government.鈥�
The uprising that brought down Mr. Qaddafi鈥檚 regime also empowered numerous militias who have continued to challenge the interim authorities.
Many people want a new government to ramp up efforts to fold militias into national armed forces. Shoddy public services and high unemployment are also major concerns.
That sentiment favored Jibril, who stressed pragmatism over politicking. The NFA took 39 of 80 seats reserved for parties.
But while the largest voter bloc supported Jibril鈥檚 message, the second-largest supported that of the Justice and Construction party, which took 17 seats.
Its leader, Mohamed Sowane, wants modern infrastructure and a 鈥渃ivil state鈥� in which law does not contradict sharia, he says, stressing Islam as a key element of rebuilding Libya.
鈥淲e believe the basis of renewal is the building of the human being, based on the values that he has faith in,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is different from the liberals and secularists here, who think that technology is everything.鈥�
Mr. Sowane denies widespread claims here that his party is an arm of Egypt鈥檚 Muslim Brotherhood.
鈥淏ut in terms of ideas, we like their moderate thinking,鈥� he says. 鈥淣o extremism, no violence, but rather hospitality and openness.鈥�
For some Libyans, Sowane鈥檚 religious tastes are too strong. Yet neither does there appear to be much appetite here for Western-style separation of religion and state. Even though it is a rival to Islamist parties, in its manifesto聽the NFA nevertheless cites Islam as Libyan society鈥檚 鈥渞eference鈥� and calls for sharia to be the main basis of legislation.
For Arabi, easy familiarity with Islam helps explains why many voters 鈥� including himself 鈥� felt no need to back Islamist parties.
鈥淧eople saw the success of Islamists in Tunisia and Egypt and expected the same thing here,鈥� he says. But while those countries鈥� dictators cracked down on Islamic groups, 鈥淗ere Islam has always been present 鈥� moderate Islam.鈥�
Less present are female leaders whom some hoped the July 7 elections would empower.聽While many women ran as candidates, only 29 appear to have won congressional seats, according to yesterday鈥檚 results.
For Shahrazad Magrabi, president of the Libyan Woman鈥檚 Forum, which helped train female candidates, that showing is due partly to women voters.
鈥淚 feared from the beginning that women wouldn鈥檛 vote for women,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e brought up to think that men should take charge of the country.鈥�
Some parties appeared to heed a law requiring them to present women candidates in haphazard fashion, according to Mrs. Magrabi.
鈥淭hey were rallied at the last minute,鈥� she says. 鈥淧arties were calling me late at night to ask for names of women to put on their lists.鈥�
Nevertheless, the elections served as a helpful trial run for female candidates, she says. Her assessment of them could equally describe Libyans in general: 鈥淭hey鈥檙e getting involved in democracy.鈥�