PREVIEW-Libya's "masses" system intact, economy reform focus
28 Feb 2007 10:12:54 GMT Source: Reuters
By William Maclean TRIPOLI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Libya celebrates three decades of leader Muammar Gaddafi's unique system of direct democracy on Friday with no sign modernising reforms being mooted for the economy will extend to the political realm. Critics say the north African country's Jamahiriyah or "state of the masses", the only government most Libyans have known, is a fig leaf for authoritarian rule and has kept the country poor. Admirers say the system of town hall meetings, in which political parties are banned, guarantees ordinary people a direct say in ruling themselves and ensures political stability. With Gaddafi's undimmed support, the system may continue with its basic elements intact for many years, Libyans say. Not so with the OPEC member country's creaking economy, long propped up by receipts from oil and gas exports: Gaddafi is urging Libyans to try their hand at private enterprise. "Libyans by nature and mood are not inclined to challenge Gaddafi's power," said Saad Djebbar, a London-based Algerian lawyer who is an expert on Libya. "What they are seeking is ways to end this extreme bureaucracy, inefficiency and corruption -- things that Gaddafi has himself acknowledged." Gaddafi seized power in a coup in 1969 and in 1977 he proclaimed Jamahiriyah popular rule to try to create the perfect society in line with the teachings of his Green Book, which combines aspects of socialism, Islam and pan-Arabism. He abolished big private enterprises and forbid Libyans to employ one another, explaining it was exploitative. Local community meetings known as Basic People's Congresses (BPC), surveyed by revolutionary committees composed of youthful Green Book enthusiasts, send up their decisions to a national tier of officials via a pyramid of committees and congresses. "WEALTH IS SHARED" Gaddafi is adamant this structure has proved its political worth. But on the economy Gaddafi, one of the world's longest serving leaders, has been a pragmatist for years. "Some call it popular socialism, others call it popular capitalism: It does not matter, the important thing is that wealth is shared out between people," he said in 2004. Officials say the country of about 5 million has blossomed under Jamahiriyah. Libya ranks a respectable 64 out of 177 in the U.N. human development index and life expectancy in 2003 was 74. Reformers say the egalitarianism espoused in the 1970s led to waste, shortages and graft. Libya was 117 out of 159 in Transparency International's 2005 Corruption Perceptions Index. Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter, who advises the government, told BusinessWeek magazine that economic management did not work well. "The system is designed not to do anything. It is a broken decision-making process," he said. "Libya has grown into a dependency economy. ... The typical Libyan is paid twice as much in subsidies as salary. Gaddafi made the decision to move in a different direction." Gaddafi denies the system is dictatorial. He suggests Libya has yet to live up to its potential. "If I were a dictator, all my ideas would have been implemented and Libya would have become paradise by now," he told last year's anniversary ceremony. On Friday, to mark the anniversary, Gaddafi is expected to hold a public debate on democracy with U.S. political scientist Benjamin Barber and British sociologist Anthony Giddens.
