The full speech (by Libya.tv)
Libya's acting president and head of the Libyan General National Congress, Dr. Mohammad Yousef Almagarief, has announced his resignation on the 28th of May 2013 - just over 9 months after he was elected on the 9th of August 2012. Passing the controversial Isolation Law in its present form - without any amendment or due consideration for such sacrifices endured by the early revolutionaries of Libya - is cruel and plain wrong. The president appeared deeply affected by the current tragedy; but also optimistic Libya will return. We wish the president safe farewell and sincerely hope he will return after yet ten-more-years of exile - at home.
The revolutionary president had resigned because he wanted to be the first to implement the unfair law; just as he was among the first to stand up to Gaddafi's regime some 30 years ago - when Gaddafi demolished his home in Benghazi in 1984. The president spoke highly of all ethnic and marginalised groups of Libya, as he was the only high official in free Libya, so far, to openly declare his support for the Berbers' constitutional rights! He has also stressed the need for national reconciliation.
It seems that pressure is mounting beyond expectation, leading to a number of ministers and local council presidents resigning ever since liberation was prematurely celebrated (by some). Brandishing weapons of violence against the law and intimidating officials and assassinating others has nothing to do with revolution. The president said he had "exhausted his energy" to the full; stressing the fact that his voice only counts as "one".
In his speech to the members of the GNC, Dr. Magerief started by outlining four issues that require urgent attention in order to steer Libya away from "square one".
The four issues pointed out by the president are summarised as follows:
In his speech to the members of the GNC, Dr. Magerief started by outlining four issues that require urgent attention in order to steer Libya away from "square one".
The four issues pointed out by the president are summarised as follows:
- Legitimacy: the legitimacy of the elected
government is the highest authority in Libya and should and ought to have been
respected above all.
- The Revolution & The Revolutionaries: the
president warned that the principles of the revolution may stay the same, but
its tools must change in accordance with the goals of the revolution and the
legitimate law. Using arms to negotiate or force solutions contradicts the
pillars of democracy, he said. He has also noted the most important of all issues
currently facing Libya, which is the existence of armed groups operating outside
the law, which he has "estimated at tens of thousands". In addition to such groups,
the president spoke about other revolutionary groups, who are among the "true
revolutionaries"
but somehow declared their allegiance to partisanship instead.
- Political Parties & Partisanship: regarding
political parties, the president warned that party goals or objectives should
not come before the benefit (or interest) of Libya itself. He also noted the need to "politicise" the
administration, and protect Libya's robbed funds from being diverted out of the
country.
- The Media & Its Role: without a doubt, the president had said, the media had played an important role during the revolution; but after the revolution had ended some media groups and independents deviated from their course, in the name of free speech, and began their disinformation campaigns to confuse the Libyans and create a state of instability, according to the wishes and the goals of other (unnamed) groups; leading to many Libyans, he said, to withdraw themselves away from the political dialogue taking place.
Following these issues, the president had some recommendations to the current transitional government of Prime Minister Ali Zidan, including:
- The government needs to acknowledge that its mission is temporary.
- Implement Security.
- Control the arms circulating in Libya.
- Improve the standard of living, especially of the poor.
- Youth education and training and facilitating marriage.
- Develop women's rights and issues to the best.
- Tackle drugs.
- Put a stop to health deterioration and environmental degradation.
- Fight financial corruption and its associated issues, which he says are infesting the society from within.
- Administration improvements.
- National Reconciliation, which he says is the most important issue the Libyans and the government need to address to steer away from "square one".
- He also advised people to think before "acting", and make sure they do not end up "pawns" on others' chess board.
More on Law 13/2013 (Isolation Law) and the GNC (the General National Congress) at Temehu.com
