Where is Libya going?

Although Gaddafi’s departure was swift and violent when it finally came, the dictator’s demise was long coming. What remains is a Libya in turmoil, as rebels in some part of the country have turned on each other to settle personal scores.

The National Transition Council, in many ways the country’s de-facto leadership since the start of a revolution, has set an eight month target for elections - meaning the if all goes well it will be the first democratic election the nation has seen since 1972.

This will be no easy task however, demanding courage and patience from leaders like Mahmoud Jibril. The country has only begun to rebuild and restart after a devastating year, and important income as that from oil is slow in recovery due to massive damage to infrastructure.

Insistence that the elections would give fair trial to the government loyalists the rebels fought to topple, is an important maneuver that will help deflate grudges and retaliation from this group. Some would-be Libyan politicians are positive to this, although the matter is far from settled.

To ban any political parties from standing, would make the next election another flawed story. Fears of regime loyalists returning to old ways should be abated by introducing laws which limit power of the executive and the implementation of a sufficient check and balance system which will not allow ultimate power to any one institution, party or individual.

New leaders will also have to struggle with the volatile society they wish to lead, which includes getting young rebels back to school, and organizing a system to control and collect the plethora of firearms that are now in the hands of countless former revolutionary forces spread around the country.

Ian Martin, UN envoy to Libya said that the country “is coming from nowhere in terms of useful electoral experience,” and he is right. The country has no electoral lists, no electoral districts and few people in the country – which has been undemocratic for the better part of the past 40 years - even understand the concept of a political party or running for office.

There is no doubt that much is still to be done, and in order to succeed the interim leadership will need great support from its citizens. This however, should hopefully be the smallest issue, as scenes from other newly democratic Arab states such as Tunisia tells us that the Arab Spring have dealt people newfound confidence in elected governments and the power of their own voice.

Such celebratory voting will in part aid the process of an election, but the challenges to Libya’s electoral infrastructure is by far the greatest amongst the Arab Spring siblings.