Esam Sharaf and Cabinet Offer Resignation
Esam Sharaf and his cabinet recently offered their resignations a midst resurgent violence in Egypt. This spells bad news for Egypt as they continue in their struggle towards democracy. The clash between the military and protesters is a huge loss to the democratic transitional movement. Sharaf's resignation suggests a necessity for change that has yet to be filled. The results of upcoming Egyptian elections are now more important than ever before.
2011 Tunisian Elections
The election for Tunisia’s Constituent Assembly was held on October 23rd, 2011. The main topic of debate in Tunisia leading up to the election was the role of Secularism vs. Islamism in the state. Ben Ali’s government was very secular and had prevented a rise of even moderate Islamism. The banned party Ennahda was now allowed to participate within the Tunisian elections, along with dozens of other parties.
Tunisian woman after just voting
The outcome of the elections was quite significant. Ennahda was a clear winner in the elections, garnering 90 out of the 217 seats. The closest follower was the CPR, a center-left secular party, that gaining 30 seats. While Ennahda gained numerous seats, it did not reach the 109 seats necessary for a majority.
2011 Tunisian election results
The results suggest that there will certainly be reforms in the government, especially with the view towards Islamism. The extent to which changes will be made is important. Hopefully, Ennahda will allow religious diversity and continue supporting democratic policies. This is essential for the continued transition towards a Tunisian democracy.
Libya Today
After the death of Muammar Gaddafi, Libyan forces finished fighting in Sirte and then consolidated power in Tripoli. On October 23, the National Transitional Council declared that Libya was officially liberated. UN and NATO actions ended on October 30th, much to the dismay of the NTC.
On November 22nd, the NTC named its interim government. Osama Al-Juwali was named the Defense Minister, Fawzi Abdelali the Interior Minister, Ashour Bin Hayal the Foreign Minister, Hassan Ziglam the Finance Minister, Ali Hameda Ashour the Justice Minister and Abdulrahman Ben Yezza the Oil Minister.
The current Libyan government is attempting to deal with factional disputes between the various groups that comprised the NTC. There will be difficulties in maintaining popular support for the government unless changes are made to include people from the various parties.
Current Flag of Libya
The Death of Muammar Gaddafi
On October 20, 2011, the NTC announced that Libyan forces had captured Muammar Gaddafi near his hometown of Sirte. Gaddafi was initially reported to be capture and alive, but was beaten and killed by Libyan forces. Gaddafi was brutally sodomized by the Libyan forces, and was reportedly stabbed, beaten, and shot multiple times. Gaddafi’s body was then put on public display for four days. The body was later buried at an unknown location to avoid the site becoming a site of reverence for pro-Gaddafi supporters.
The death of Gaddafi marks a change in the events of Libya. Although Libyans and the NTC are glad that Gaddafi is gone, the manner of his death is shocking. Although it is difficult to suggest that Gaddafi be publicly tried, the humiliation and desecration of Gaddafi’s body is certainly a bad start for the NTC.
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