![]() ![]() Over and over, they have led to an impasse, as local actors string the international community along until opportunities arise to seize power through force. Yet over and over, these processes have ended in war. UN-led efforts have emphasised elections over all else. Peacebuilding efforts to date have focused on creating something new, such as writing a constitution not grounded in Libyan’s historical experiences or relying on leaders who do not have the consensus of the people. The burning down of Tobruk Parliament and the houses of numerous politicians by protesters in early-July attest to that sentiment. Libyans have no trust in any individual or institution in Libya, and rightly so they have not earned it. ![]() It is no way to run a country, and certainly no way to build one. Those who have been successful in garnering power are those who have resorted to force over consensus, and who have turned to violence rather than risk losing power in an election. As in the Gadhafi years, authority derives from force rather than trust it is about the monopoly of violence rather than the national interest. Libya today is a country without a social contract. Many Libyans feel another civil war is just around the corner. These geographic divides continue to play a major role in political life and animate debates regarding the allocation of resources and political equality. This has followed years of political stalemate and instability, stemming from an inability to elect a government recognised by the East, West and South of the country – the three distinct regions that came together to form Libya in 1951. Violent clashes have started in Tripoli, and oil and gas exports are once again being interrupted by militias. It has “two Prime Ministers”, one who refuses to give up power while the other struggles to acquire legitimacy. After three attempts at holding elections without a constitution – or, for that matter, any legal framework – the UN tried, in a last-ditch effort, to hold an “urgent constitutional dialogue” in Egypt last month. More than a decade has passed since the fall of Muammar Gadhafi in 2011, but the Libyan Uprising is no closer to a happy ending. A man in Benghazi holds a picture of King Idris in the midst of the Libyan Uprising in 2011.
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