- Intissar Kherigi and Ridha Ellouh 31 October,2024
Introduction
The 2011 uprising in Libya raised the question of the equitable distribution of power and wealth among all regions of the country and demands for participation in decision-making at the local level. This paper examines the issue of local governance in Libya from its recent history to the present, considering cultural, political, social, and institutional factors. It analyses how the local governance system could be developed to meet the aspirations and demands of the Libyan people.
Agreeing on a new model of local governance in Libya is no easy task, given the existing political and social divisions that have been deepened by the civil war. But why should there be discussion of local governance and decentralisation considering the existing fragmentation of the state?
First of all, because it is a theme consistently raised by Libyans themselves. Local governance and decentralisation have been raised in public debate since February 2011, although these terms mean different things to different people. As discussed in the paper, these terms are often raised to give expression to demands such as political and economic inclusion, public participation in decision-making and a just distribution of resources.
Secondly, the Libya roadmap for the “Preparatory Phase for a Comprehensive Solution” that emerged out of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum mentions strengthening local governance as one of the key themes that need to be addressed in order to solve the crisis. Many actors propose local governance reform as a conflict-resolution mechanism that could help resolve Libya’s highly complex conflict and address its root causes. Simply put, the idea is that dividing up power and sharing resources between different regions and levels of government could help reduce a “winner takes all” approach to gaining power at the top. Competition over institutions that centralise power and resources in a few hands, the argument goes, would be dispersed, and de-escalated. Some also suggest that including expanded local autonomy as an element of Libya’s peace settlement would act as a confidence-building mechanism, signalling that the future governance system will not allow any one side or region to exert a monopoly on power.
The idea that rethinking local governance can help resolve Libya’s conflict has been raised repeatedly by participants in the Peace Makers Libya dialogues with social and political leaders and intellectuals in the country. As expressed by many of the participants in these dialogues, as well as those we spoke to while preparing this paper, decentralisation of powers and resources is key to building a lasting peace that is just, inclusive and sustainable. Simply reconstituting Libya’s highly centralised state, along the pre-2011 governance model, would do nothing to address the grievances and demands of Libyans.
Thirdly, the war in Libya has led to de facto decentralisation in various localities. The political and military conflict has produced a deep polarisation and a multiplicity of centres of power, each with their own peripheries. Some localities have developed their own forms of local governance, and municipalities have gained new powers and resources under the law. Tribes are also exercising a significant role as the reach of the central state has shrunk. Local governance is, in reality, exercised by a web of local tribal and military councils alongside – and sometimes within – municipalities. It is difficult to envisage a return to highly centralised rule in light of these changes.
But what local governance are we talking about? It is clear that there are a variety of different, and often conflicting, visions of which model of local governance would be best for Libya’s context.
This paper is based on interviews with various stakeholders in Libya, including experts in local government, academics, and representatives of political and social groups, as well as an in-person workshop with Libyan representatives held in Rome in February 2024. In addition, it draws on a desk review of existing studies and primary materials on the history of local governance in Libya and its challenges today.
These reveal various visions in Libyan political and civil society regarding what kind of local governance system could meet the needs and aspirations of the Libyan people and support social, political, and territorial cohesion. In this paper, we map these into three overall groups – pro-federalist, pro-decentralisation and pro-centralisation. Each of these groups contains within it a range of views on the optimal system of local governance that could achieve balance between Libya’s regions, take account of national and local specificities and give local authorities and communities the ability to participate in the management of local and national affairs while maintaining and strengthening the unity of the Libyan national state.
It is important to note here that decentralization in a post-conflict context involves particular complexities. The issues of decentralization and local governance are extremely politicized in the current context, and even the terms themselves are highly contested. While some Libyan actors use the term “decentralization” to refer to the transfer of powers and resources to a subnational level, others utterly reject it on the basis that it refers to an illegitimate, watered-down form of local governance. There is little consensus on the terms to use, let alone their substantive content. In addition, the same term is often used in different ways. These differences often lead to an impasse in any discussion on local governance.
This paper focuses on the different definitions, meanings, and dimensions of decentralization and local governance. It begins by clarifying and defining the different terms relating to local governance, before moving to examine the history of local governance in the Libyan context and the preferences of Libyan political and social actors with regards to a future system of local governance.
The paper is the first in a series of papers on the future of local governance in Libya, each of which focuses on a different dimension of local governance – levels of government, distribution of powers, and distribution of resources. By clarifying concepts, mapping positions, and mobilizing experiences from other contexts, we seek to spur reflection and create space for discussion between Libyans and enable them to examine and evaluate the different options available to them and their potential risks and outcomes, with the aim of reaching a local governance system that meets the needs and aspirations of the Libyan people.
