Libya: Ex-PM Urges Rapid Vote in Fear of Instability

Libya’s ex-Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril warned that Libya faces a “lengthy and dangerous” power vacuum where foreign powers can exploit the rival militias and called for an acceleration in the political transition process. He noted that instead of the current timetable of drafting a constitution by mid-2013, Jibril is in favor of a dramatic acceleration where a basic law and government would be produced in six months. ”I just want to shorten the period of this political vacuum…The more we prolong this period, it’s very dangerous for the national unity of this country.”

Ann Marlowe, a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute, wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that many liberals in Libya are worried about the transition, despite the many successes in Libya. Marlowe argues that “if we expect Libya to make a seamless transition to modernity, we will be sorely disappointed.” Despite worries about political transition, Libya’s oil production is quickly being restored. While current oil production is about 40% of what it used to be, none of the oil fields in the country were damaged, a point many former rebels and interim leaders made sure of. Some analysts argue that if Libya’s oil production doesn’t return to pre-conflict levels, “the industry’s rapid pace of recovery is a beacon of hope at a time when the interim government is struggling to disarm militias, prevent competing tribes from fighting each other, and rebuild shattered cities.”