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Constitutional rule is a new blow for Libya

November 8, 2014 at 3:36 pm

There is no doubt that the Supreme Constitutional Court ruling to dissolve the Tobruk parliament cobbled together by Haftar and Sisi, and cancelling its associated government, as well as all agreements made during its term, is considered to be a blow to Al-Sisi’s coup regime. This is especially so because his government in Cairo insisted on spearheading the counter-revolution across the border in Libya led by Haftar and remnants of Gaddafi’s regime against the February 14 revolutionaries who overthrew the latter. Coup leader Al-Sisi and his regional supporters want to eliminate the Arab revolutions and eradicate anything associated with the Arab Spring. They fear that the revolutionary winds will reach their own countries, which are on the verge of exploding, and blow away their weak regimes. Hence, they are supporting all the counter revolutions in the region with money and weapons in order to return repressive tyrants to power, in a reflection of how they govern their own people.

This conspiratorial alliance, which Al-Sisi is spearheading in its battle with the Arab Spring, was dealt a harsh blow by Libya’s Constitutional Court, which proved that the judiciary is sound and untainted by politics, unlike its neighbour. In Egypt, the judiciary has slipped into a swamp of disgrace, making it a laughing stock around the world. I salute the Libyan judiciary and shower shame on the Egyptian judiciary that has become so corrupt.

Al-Sisi’s regime concluded several military and security agreements with the Tobruk government by which it will help and train the Libyan army. These agreements also give Egypt the right to intervene in Libya militarily to protect it from any danger, and consider the Dawn of Libya forces a threat that must be fought. The regime was not in need of such agreements because Egypt is already providing military and logistical aid by allowing the UAE air force to use its airfields from which they fly sorties to bomb the Libyan people in Tripoli, Benghazi and other areas controlled by the revolutionaries. The coup-controlled media refuses to refer to them as such, saying instead that they are “gunmen” and “terrorists”.

Al-Sisi’s regime has sided with the minority of Libyans who only control 10 per cent of their country’s territory. He has opted not to follow Algeria’s lead, which chose the political route in order to resolve the Libya crisis; indeed, Al-Sisi is trying to widen and expand the crisis by means of his blatant one-sided support. It is as if he is seeking actively to increase the division within Libya, just as he did in Egypt on the way to dividing the country. He wants to have a “loyal” country on Egypt’s western border even though his dream of Libya being completely overthrown and handed over to Haftar and his supporters has been crushed.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.