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Libya’s elections: What comes next?

Editorial / Opinion Piece / Blog Post

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July 17, 2012

Libya’s elections: What comes next?

I didn’t wash my finger for 2 days – purposely avoiding the water just so that the blue stain I received when voting remained there for as long as possible. To those around the world who have had the right to democracy and the choice of selecting their political representatives it may seem a little unusual.

However, this was an action replicated by the majority of my friends and family because to us, our blue fingers were a sign – the sign – of the success of the Libyan revolution and the potential for a truly democratic transition.

In the months since the fall of Gaddafi and his regime, the international, and even national media have reported on numerous things, covering everything from tribal disputes that are getting out of hand, to the increasing insecurity of the Libyan borders, the proliferation of arms, the lack of a strong central government and on the overall feeling of dissatisfaction within the majority of Libyan society following liberation.

Through work in my own NGO, The Voice of Libyan Women, I have noticed that the once infectious desire to learn, share experiences and, “make Libya a place Libyans can be proud of,” as a young 12 year old student once said to me, is slowly disappearing in the midst of corruption, lawlessness, and a lack of ownership over decisions made ın a post-revolution Libya.

Read Alaa Murabit's post at the Libya Herald, published 15 July 2012.

Theme
Author
Alaa Murabit
Publication year
2012

I didn’t wash my finger for 2 days – purposely avoiding the water just so that the blue stain I received when voting remained there for as long as possible. To those around the world who have had the right to democracy and the choice of selecting their political representatives it may seem a little unusual.

However, this was an action replicated by the majority of my friends and family because to us, our blue fingers were a sign – the sign – of the success of the Libyan revolution and the potential for a truly democratic transition.

In the months since the fall of Gaddafi and his regime, the international, and even national media have reported on numerous things, covering everything from tribal disputes that are getting out of hand, to the increasing insecurity of the Libyan borders, the proliferation of arms, the lack of a strong central government and on the overall feeling of dissatisfaction within the majority of Libyan society following liberation.

Through work in my own NGO, The Voice of Libyan Women, I have noticed that the once infectious desire to learn, share experiences and, “make Libya a place Libyans can be proud of,” as a young 12 year old student once said to me, is slowly disappearing in the midst of corruption, lawlessness, and a lack of ownership over decisions made ın a post-revolution Libya.

Read Alaa Murabit's post at the Libya Herald, published 15 July 2012.

Theme
Author
Alaa Murabit
Publication year
2012