The protests came as Libya’s numerous political factions remained at odds over the constitutional framework and road map to elections, as UN-backed negotiations in Cairo and Geneva between representatives of Tripoli’s Supreme Council of State and the Parliament of Representatives of Tobruk could not come to an AGREEMENT. Uncertainty has been exacerbated by the ongoing oil blockade launched by factions seeking to topple the internationally recognized government in Tripoli and install a rival government led by former interior minister Fathi Bashagha, based in Sirte. “There are many reasons why the protesters decided to take to the streets in anger. But they can simply boil down to politicians’ failure to reach a political agreement and their preference to fight each other for power at the expense of ordinary citizens,” Libyan academic and author Ahmed Mayouf told Al Jazeera. “This failure has naturally resulted in the deterioration of living conditions in all areas, affecting even those citizens who are not very interested in politics.” Libyan journalist Mustafa Fetouri agreed, insisting that “the protests are against the current status quo as a whole, and that includes both governments. [interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid] Dbeibah in Tripoli and Bashagha in Sirte.” Feturi told Al Jazeera that “the main reason for the protests is the worsening of living conditions in Libya, and in particular the constant power outages, the lack of job opportunities and the absence of any agreement on the elections.” However, Tripoli-based Libyan academic Yusuf Bakhbakhi said the reasons for the protests varied depending on the region in which they took place. “There is a sense of frustration and growing complaints about issues related to unemployment in Tripoli, which has sparked protests [there] against Dbeibah’s government,” he said. “In Tobruk, the reasons are more political and have more to do with the presence of mercenaries and the politics of the House of Representatives that prevented elections from being held.”

“Protests may escalate”

Libya has been wracked by instability and civil war since the overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. In 2021, a UN-backed national dialogue led to the formation of a new government under Dbeibah with elections to be held in December of that year. However, the election was delayed indefinitely, leading to a dispute over the legitimacy of Dbeibah’s government. In February 2022, the House of Representatives in Tobruk – backed by strongman Khalifa Haftar, who laid siege to the capital Tripoli in 2019 before being pushed back by Turkey’s military intervention – appointed Basaga as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government. But Bashagha met stiff resistance from armed militias aligned with Dbeibah as he tried to enter Tripoli in May to install his government, prompting him to subsequently announce that he would take over from the city of Sirte. Since then, supporters of Bashaga’s government have partially shut down oil facilities in the east in an attempt to force Dbeiba’s government to step down. Bashaga told the Reuters news agency that the oil embargo “will probably end if the central bank provides the funds for the budget approved by parliament [for his government]”. The oil blockade has exacerbated the problem of power outages across Libya, which is one of the main complaints of the protesters who have recently taken to the streets. Libyan academic Yusuf Bakhbakhi, based in Tripoli, told Al Jazeera that “power cuts last for hours during the day and queues at petrol stations are very long. This is in addition to rising inflation and rising prices.” However, Bakhbakhi said the protests have not yet reached a level where they may be able to force change. “Protests may escalate. That’s definitely a possibility,” he said. “However, it is still limited to some of the young people, and the burning of the House of Representatives building in Tobruk and the blocking of roads by protesters and other destructive actions may have influenced the decision of others to join these protests.” Bakhbakhi added: “Libyans at the moment are not yet at the point where they are ready to take to the streets in large numbers, despite the worsening living conditions.” Mayouf said the protests would likely continue to escalate. “As far as the protesters are concerned, there is no difference between Debeiba’s or Bashagha’s government in terms of their contribution to worsening living conditions. This is what makes it difficult for one side to use the protests against the other,” he said. “However, it will not stop them from trying to ride the wave and attempt to construct a narrative that will suggest they stand with the protests against the ‘other side.’

title: “What Is Behind The Protests That Rock Libya Political News " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-07” author: “Kurt Carter”

The protests came as Libya’s numerous political factions remained at odds over the constitutional framework and road map to elections, as UN-backed negotiations in Cairo and Geneva between representatives of Tripoli’s Supreme Council of State and the Parliament of Representatives of Tobruk could not come to an AGREEMENT. Uncertainty has been exacerbated by the ongoing oil blockade launched by factions seeking to topple the internationally recognized government in Tripoli and install a rival government led by former interior minister Fathi Bashagha, based in Sirte. “There are many reasons why the protesters decided to take to the streets in anger. But they can simply boil down to politicians’ failure to reach a political agreement and their preference to fight each other for power at the expense of ordinary citizens,” Libyan academic and author Ahmed Mayouf told Al Jazeera. “This failure has naturally resulted in the deterioration of living conditions in all areas, affecting even those citizens who are not very interested in politics.” Libyan journalist Mustafa Fetouri agreed, insisting that “the protests are against the current status quo as a whole, and that includes both governments. [interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid] Dbeibah in Tripoli and Bashagha in Sirte.” Feturi told Al Jazeera that “the main reason for the protests is the worsening of living conditions in Libya, and in particular the constant power outages, the lack of job opportunities and the absence of any agreement on the elections.” However, Tripoli-based Libyan academic Yusuf Bakhbakhi said the reasons for the protests varied depending on the region in which they took place. “There is a sense of frustration and growing complaints about issues related to unemployment in Tripoli, which has sparked protests [there] against Dbeibah’s government,” he said. “In Tobruk, the reasons are more political and have more to do with the presence of mercenaries and the politics of the House of Representatives that prevented elections from being held.”

“Protests may escalate”

Libya has been wracked by instability and civil war since the overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. In 2021, a UN-backed national dialogue led to the formation of a new government under Dbeibah with elections to be held in December of that year. However, the election was delayed indefinitely, leading to a dispute over the legitimacy of Dbeibah’s government. In February 2022, the House of Representatives in Tobruk – backed by strongman Khalifa Haftar, who laid siege to the capital Tripoli in 2019 before being pushed back by Turkey’s military intervention – appointed Basaga as prime minister and tasked him with forming a government. But Bashagha met stiff resistance from armed militias aligned with Dbeibah as he tried to enter Tripoli in May to install his government, prompting him to subsequently announce that he would take over from the city of Sirte. Since then, supporters of Bashaga’s government have partially shut down oil facilities in the east in an attempt to force Dbeiba’s government to step down. Bashaga told the Reuters news agency that the oil embargo “will probably end if the central bank provides the funds for the budget approved by parliament [for his government]”. The oil blockade has exacerbated the problem of power outages across Libya, which is one of the main complaints of the protesters who have recently taken to the streets. Libyan academic Yusuf Bakhbakhi, based in Tripoli, told Al Jazeera that “power cuts last for hours during the day and queues at petrol stations are very long. This is in addition to rising inflation and rising prices.” However, Bakhbakhi said the protests have not yet reached a level where they may be able to force change. “Protests may escalate. That’s definitely a possibility,” he said. “However, it is still limited to some of the young people, and the burning of the House of Representatives building in Tobruk and the blocking of roads by protesters and other destructive actions may have influenced the decision of others to join these protests.” Bakhbakhi added: “Libyans at the moment are not yet at the point where they are ready to take to the streets in large numbers, despite the worsening living conditions.” Mayouf said the protests would likely continue to escalate. “As far as the protesters are concerned, there is no difference between Debeiba’s or Bashagha’s government in terms of their contribution to worsening living conditions. This is what makes it difficult for one side to use the protests against the other,” he said. “However, it will not stop them from trying to ride the wave and attempt to construct a narrative that will suggest they stand with the protests against the ‘other side.’