Writing Assignment help on : Revolution in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya
Introduction
Democracy is a must and there is no second question attached to it. Recently, it has been seen that many countries are fighting their way so that they can establish a democratic government rather than that of a dictatorial government which they are having currently. After a certain point of time, people become tired because of the strict norms that they need to follow every now and then. Under a dictatorial government, a citizen is not even given the freedom of speech or expression. This cannot be taken by the people for a long period of time so they finally start protesting against it so that they can go out and see the open world. Under a dictatorial government, the most powerful person in the Army force takes power over all the people in the country and the dictator exploits all the people for his benefit. It has been noticed that in a dictatorial country, unemployment tends to grow at a faster rate and apart from that, the inflation continues thus, making it difficult for the people to survive. Democracy means that every decision that is taken in a country by way of consulting a group of people. A political party is formed in the country and this political party is chosen by the people so that these groups of politicians can represent the interest that every citizen in the country has. All the decisions are taken by taking the consent of people in the political party, unlike in dictatorial government where the decision is taken by the president only (StanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy 2006).
History of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya
One country that recently started a revolution against dictatorship was Egypt. Egypt was ruled by Hosni Mubarak from 1981 to 2011. All of sudden on January 25, 2011, a revolution against the Egyptian president took place because the people were suffering from various problems like that of freedom against expression, low wages and the increasing price of food grains. These were the major reasons due to which, they started a revolution. This revolution continued till February 11, 2011 and then President Hosni Mubarak decided to move down from his throne. This revolution started in Cairo and Alexandria and at that point of time, the people in Tunisia were also fighting for their freedom. Countries like that of Libya, Syria, Jordan and others were, soon, influenced by this act and hence, they decided to do the same in their country as well (GlobalVoices 2012).
While talking about the fight for freedom, nobody can miss out on Tunisia because this is the country which started with a revolution. People in Tunisia were frustrated with the dictatorial policies of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. On December 17, 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor, set himself on fire because he was frustrated with harassment by the security and police forces in Tunisia. This action of his led to a huge revolution as people thought it’s time to fight for the rights that they deserve. They started protesting against the president who was in power since last 23 years (Aljazeera 2011). After protesting continuously for 28 days, the president decided to resign on January 14, 2012. Many deaths and injuries took place during this protest as the security forces of Tunisia attacked people so that they can stop people from going further, but nothing stopped them. Within 60 days of this act, a new government was formed in the country. Ben Ali’s government had Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) members and the people in the country continued with their protest that they want no RCD members in the new government. On March 9, 2011, a new government was formed with no RCD members in it. (InternationalAffairsReview 2011)
Last but not the least, Libya was also frustrated with their government and president Moammar Qaddafi. Moammar Qaddafi was considered to be an arrogant personality because many a times, he addressed his people as uneducated and backward in the media. Libya is one of the Arab countries which have lots of oil resources but the people in the country are leading a poor life since long. It was reportedly said that the country’s 30% people were unemployed. The protest for democracy started on February 15, 2011. The forces who were protesting against the then president formed a governing party in the name of the National Transitional Council. The protest continued, later on February 26, 2012, United Nations Security Council supported the protest by way of restricting Qaddafi, his family members and people who were connected to him in any way from travelling outside Libya. On October 20, 2011, Qaddafi was trying to escape from Sirte, Libya and the protestors caught hold of him and killed him. On October 23, 2011, the United Nations Security Council declared the country to be liberated and they also declared that the war has come to an end (MotherJones 2011).
Current situation of each country
With this revolution, the struggle for Egypt hasn’t come to an end yet. They still have to fight a long way as changing the government from dictatorial to that of democracy is not an easy task. The major problem is the difference in opinion among different groups. People from the Army still want the country to be dominated by the army force in the country while the military force wants to take power of the country. Some citizens of Egypt support the Army force and some others want it to Military force while others want the country to be completely democratic thus, making it difficult to decide. Finally, Mohammad Morsi was elected as the president but this time, every president will be in power only for four years only and after that, there will be presidential elections again. One of the major problems in Egypt is the security issue that the people over there are facing. The condition in Egypt has improved for sure but yes, after the revolution, Egypt has lost peace. Local people are insecure as the loyalist of army forces are creating problems at regular intervals thus, creating a restless environment. Egypt also had to bear with economic losses. The social environment of the country is very unstable thus, many people are not willing to visit Egypt and hence, the tourism income is affected for sure. Many companies are not willing to invest in companies that are located in Egypt and hence, the business environment is also getting affected (Hamad 2012).
The problems that the people in Tunisia are facing are different than that of the problem which people in Egypt are facing. Tunisia was the first among the Arab country to raise their voice so that they can get all the rights that they deserve. Ben Ali, the former president of Tunisia has been thrown out of politics but his loyalists are still there in politics as well as in the country. October 2011 elections were looked forward the most, by people in Tunisia because they saw that more than 100 parties and more than 10,000 candidates have registered themselves so that they can create new Tunisia. The best part about the candidates was that the majority of candidates were from non-political background. The election was won by Islamist Al-Nahda party but now the citizen of Tunisia aren’t able to trust them as they feel that this party is also trying to remove secularism from the country and apart from that, they are also trying to hold back the women’s right to freedom. Unemployment is creating a stress among the educated and young people because they are finding it difficult to manage their daily living. People in Tunisia regret at some point that whether their decision to abandon Ben Ali was wrong or so? During Ben Ali’s regime, it was very difficult for one to see even a single child labor on the street or factory but today, child labor can be seen in every corner of Tunisia (Tunisia-live 2012).
The revolutionary war in Libya was longer than what it was expected to be and hence, the damages were more as compared to that of any other country. The major problem with Libya post revolution is that people have been affected a lot, mentally as well as physically, due to the war. It can be said that almost everybody in the country knows someone or other who has lost their lives in the war. Many houses have holes in their wall; these holes were created at the time of war. Many cities have been affected to such an extent that the city will have to be completely demolished before they are rebuilt. Another problem is the insecurity that people are having within themselves. Qaddafi loyalists are creating havoc in public places thus, the people are insecure and scared about the things that might happen. The citizens of Libya aren’t able to believe that they are free. Everything seems to be normal in the surrounding but they don’t trust the new government that has been formed in their country. Qaddafi never shared the country’s profit with them and hence, the people are going out of the way to keep a close eye on the economic growth of the country so that they aren’t exploited any more (CNCNews 2011).
Move towards Democratic Government
Achieving democracy is not a simple task. If a country is willing to be democratic then this transition takes place slowly and continuously. Political transition cannot take place without the determination of people in the country. Many writers have argued on introduction of democracy in Arab countries as they believe that it might not fit their culture and growth. Democracy also forces the individuals to change the culture, the way they think and the way they behave in public so a country cannot be democratic until and unless, the government is open to all possible criticisms (Elbadawi, M 2011, p. 23). Islam as a religion doesn’t allow complete democracy thus, making the implementation of democracy even more difficult (Elbadawi, M 2011, p. 24).
Egypt’s democracy started with voting for the candidate, in the first democratic election, whom they would like to see in power. All the citizens of Egypt were excited about the election because this was the first time when they weren’t aware about the outcome. Apart from that, the public has learnt from the mistakes that took place during Mubarak’s regime. They didn’t want the new president to rule over them for years and hence, they decided that the new president will be in power only for a period of 4 years as every 4 years, election will be held. Another rule for the new president, Mohamad Mursi, was that he need to appoint a vice-president within 60 days from his date of appointment. Not only Egypt but even countries like US are supporting the citizens of Egypt to lead a free life (TheEconomist(US) 2011).
Al-Nahda was the party that won the first elections after the revolution that took place in Tunisia. One of the major founders of this party was Hamadi Jabeli and he was a political prisoner. Allowing a political prisoner to be in power and this itself states the success of the country in achieving democracy to the fullest (Bloomberg 2012). The nation also decided that there will be a different constitution will be formed so that the old constitution can be replaced. The purpose of the new constitution was to set new laws for the people in the country so that they can be secure and enjoy freedom. Few had to say that democracy is something that is just written but that is not in action because the mayors and governors of all the cities in Tunisia are same as they were during the Ben Ali’s regime. Tunisia wants to be a democratic government but they haven’t witnessed much growth in that direction yet as the analysts can see a continuous drop in the economy and the employment rate that existed prior to the revolution (Policymic 2012).
Democracy isn’t assured yet in Libya. It can be said that past the revolution, the instability of the country continued thus, making it difficult for the new government to make its presence be felt. General National Congress won the election and this was completely unexpected and hence, many didn’t react to it positively. The cold vibes between General National Congress and The Muslim Brotherhood party is still alive in Libya thus, making it difficult for both the parties to do anything for the betterment of the country. It is being noticed that in Libya, the majority of the decisions relating to social issues like that of tribes and religion is taken by the government but this is not the right way of transition to democracy. People in the country need to actively participate in the decisions that are ultimately going to affect them (MiddleEastOnline 2012).
Changes further needs to be done
The revolution that happened in Egypt in the year 2011 has led to the exhaustion of all the resources that the country was having. Now, the new president, Mohamed Mursi will have to fight a lot so that he can create a mark in Egypt. 10% of the youth in Egypt were engaged in tourism but after the revolution, people from any part of the world is not willing to visit the country so the president needs to gain, not only the country’s confidence, but also of people from all over the world so that they visit Egypt with trust and peace. Apart from that, he can also improve the look and feel of the country thus, making the citizens feel happy and safe. The world economy is deteriorating and this is creating an impact on the improvement of Egypt. Egypt is facing with a budget deficit problem and this is creating a problem as people in the country aren’t having enough money to start with something. The president should take initiative so that the country can have enough funds for redevelopment. The president should make Egypt a self-dependent country so that they don’t need to be dependent on the other countries in the world for their economical growth. Not only the president but all the citizens of Egypt must understand that converting the government from that of a dictatorial to democratic doesn’t make things better. The citizens cannot rest as they will have to be cautious about the every step that they take so that their country can improve continuously (AfricaResearchBulletin 2012).
Compared to the other dictatorial presidents, Ben Ali was considered to be better because during his regime, the country didn’t have to face problems like that of employment and child labor but that all are a part of Tunisia today. First and foremost, the country should start providing good education to its people. During Ben Ali’s time, proper education weren’t departed to the kids as he never wanted people in his country to be aware about political and sociological issues that are happening in the country. If the new government is able to successfully educate the population then the population and the country, both, can have a great future. With education comes employment, every youth in the country should be provided with a job that best matches their qualification and skills. Elders in the house are jobless and hence, young children will have to earn the livelihood of their family but this can be eradicated with proper employment to the youth. During Ben Ali’s era, women weren’t allowed to share their opinion in any regards. This was not applicable to political or social issues only; this was also related to family issues as well. Many men in the country are used to this so the new government will have to give equal opportunity to women so that women can also act for the betterment of the country. If women in the country aren’t given power then it is very difficult for the country to move ahead as only a woman can understand the situation and the requirement of other women in the country. If women aren’t given the opportunity to be strong then one section of the country will tend to remain backward itself (MiddleEastMonitor 2012)
Just like Egypt and Tunisia, Libya also needs to concentrate on certain areas so that the country can be considered as a better place to live. Libya doesn’t have a proper written constitution so they should start their betterment with an introduction of a constitution. The constitution should be drafted as per the needs and requirements of the country. Apart from that, they should avoid the mistakes that took place during the Qaddafi’s regime so that the citizens of the country can be happy. Libya should concentrate on the economic development of the country and for the same, they should try to get partnerships from outside Libya as well. The political powers in the country should build a trustworthy relationship with the businessmen from all over the world so that they can think of Libya when they will be planning to open up a new branch or factory. Libya needs to understand that they cannot be dependent on other countries for their growth in the technological front. The country should invest in education so that tomorrow, they have their own research and development team that will work on things which will allow the country to improve. The country should start, right away, with the investment in research and development rather than waiting for the right moment to arrive. More importantly, every citizen of the country should be educated about the rights that they hold in the country so that they can fight if any injustice is happening against them. Every individual must be taught about the rights that they hold for voting (TheLibyanInterimNationalCouncil).
Was their decision to break dictatorship?
Many people from all over the world are wondering whether Egypt’s decision to stand against Mubarak was right or wrong because of the hardships that they are facing now but one needs to understand that a perfect country cannot be achieved overnight. During the previous government, one of the major problems was with the wages; the government only paid $25 as minimum wage to employees. Workers wanted the minimum wage to be $200 but it was just raised $67. After a period of 9 months, the wage was again increased to $115 thus, making it difficult for the people to even survive. After the revolution, it has been noticed that the country has shown a growth of 12.6% in a year’s time. Many estimates had said that Egypt had the potential to grow up to 24% but things didn’t work out that way due to the lack of management. Apart from that, Egypt is still importing manpower from Southeast Asia, due to the low cost that they demand, and this should be stopped immediately so that the citizens of Egypt can be employed rather than that of anyone else. The tourism industry has grown big time after the revolution. It has shown 30% increment in the employment in the tourism industry. During the Mubarak’s regime, people were scared to visit Egypt but that problem has been solved as people have started trusting the new government for the security that they can expect. The textile industry has been affected a lot in Egypt because this is the industry which started with the revolution. It will take some time to improve but one can be rest assured that it will improve in the upcoming years. The textile industry had lots of physical damage so the government is trying its level best to work on the physical damages that had occurred during the revolution process. All the above, the World Bank is willing to give debt to Egypt so that the country doesn’t have a problem with funds while they are on their path to improvement. The hopes are bright for the country but yes, the government and the people in the country will have to work hard together so that they can see a great future (EqualTimes 2012).
Tunisia has, for sure, grown a lot after the revolution as there are women in the political party. Women are addressing the problem that has been faced in many households but, this wasn’t the case during Ben Ali’s government. Tunisia need not struggle much like other countries to establish a proper and safe government because Ben Ali has done his part of the work. After the revolution, they have come a long way in terms of freedom to women and education for everybody. The country has set up proper educational institutes so that all can get the education that they deserve. Along with that, many people have set up small size and medium size enterprises thus, making Tunisia a self dependent country. The entrepreneurs in the country are motivated to grow as the government of the country is much aware that if the entrepreneurs grow then that will lead to growth in the country’s economy as a whole. Apart from the growth that they are seeing after the revolution, the government respects the ideas and beliefs of the people in the country so the citizens of Tunisia are very happy with the behavioral aspects of the government (Reboot).
Libya is having a tough time in establishing a democratic government. People killed Qaddafi but that doesn’t mean that the country is safe. People have saved themselves from Qaddafi but the loyalist of Qaddafi is still creating a troublesome environment for people to stay there (TheGuardian 2011). Libya will improve but it will take more time than that of Egypt and Tunisia as the infrastructure of the country is completely demolished and apart from that, people don’t have a sense of security while they are walking on the roads of Libya. The United States of America is willing to help this country to come out of this trauma that they have been facing since last 42 years, under the regime of Qaddafi. The country will have to start everything from the scratch because the country has nothing with them. In fact, this country didn’t have a constitution and hence, people had to follow the rules that were set by Qaddafi. This country has a strong inbuilt Islamic culture thus, making it difficult for the country to follow a democratic rule. The rules that have are followed in Islam religion doesn’t allow freedom so this needs to be changed before anything else (GuyanaJournal 2012)
Likelihood of success of democracy
Free elections undertaken by Egypt, Tunisia and Libya can be said to be the first step towards a free society but they still have a long way to go. If you are talking about the freedom that these countries have then anybody will have to take their time to think. Every country has moved ahead in terms of freedom to women, education, infrastructure and business but all these aspects have been into existence since the dictatorial government. Education was a problem in Libya but those problems haven’t been solved yet because the country is still dealing with problems that were associated since the pre-revolution time. Tunisia has grown for sure as they have created new opportunities by way of setting up research and development team in the country. Apart from that, women in Tunisia have been given the freedom to speak, what they think. Talking about Libya, this country is still worried about regular attacks that happen to them and they are scared of Qaddafi loyalists who attack the people at irregular intervals. Democracy is different than what people of these countries are assuming it to be. The sexual harassment problem in Egypt has recently increased. It has been noticed that rapes and molestation in the streets have become a regular thing. In Libya, the old Muslim shrines are being destroyed with explosives thus, creating an insecure environment among the people. The Christian minorities in Tunisia aren’t secure because they are attacked by the Muslim Tunisians. Democracy is more to it and every individual needs to understand that (CNN 2012).
Democracy can be achieved when the government and the people in the country start thinking on the same line. The government should influence the majority of people in the country with their decisions rather than that of forcing decisions on them. Any decision in a democratic country should be taken after considering the same with a large group of people. If the decisions that are taken in the country are against a particular group in the country then the weaker section of the society should be protected with the help of security forces and norms. Education is a must in any country so the government must initiate various education programs and they should see to it that all the children in the country are given access to education. Education gives an individual, the power to think. Years down the line, the educated group will be able to decide on things that are right and wrong. Apart from mental understanding, educated youth can create job opportunities as well rather than that of being dependant on existing opportunities. This will improve the growth of the country and the country can be independent years down the line. The government of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya should build good relations with developing and developed countries. Maintaining good relations will help them to grow as the developed and developing country will help them by all possible means. Good relations with other countries will also boost the economy of these countries as many businesses from other countries will set up their factory and offices thus, allowing both the countries to move ahead. Egypt, Libya and Tunisia should work a lot for the security of their people. Regular attacks have been noticed in all these countries so the security officials need to be increased. Attacks are taking place due to terrorism activities or people are fighting among themselves so this needs to be controlled at the earliest. Almost all the countries in the world had dictatorial government years or decades back so the government should copy the successful model that has been followed by today’s stable country so that success can be achieved at any cost. Adapting the existing models will allow the government to understand the pros and cons in advance so safety measures can be taken accordingly in advance (LessonsInDemocracy 2008).
Conclusion
Time needs to be given so that democracy works the best because changing the background of any country takes time. In reference to Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, the rules and regulations that were set were very straight and there wasn’t any exception to it but democracy means complete freedom. Democracy gives an individual the space to think freely and speak freely about his thoughts and views on any particular issue. Acceptance of open thoughts in the society will be initially difficult because the people’s mind has been completely set to the dictatorial government. Even people in the country will take their time to settle to the new culture. Democracy is considered to be the best for business opportunities as people are given an opportunity to come up with creative ideas that can allow the country to earn good income and GDP. Democracy is impossible without proper leadership especially in countries like that of Libya, Tunisia and Egypt. The leaders who are in power in politics should write the constitutional rules in such a way that it will allow people to think about the right and wrong that is happening in the society. Egypt, Libya and Tunisia need to understand that voting for the election doesn’t make the country democratic, they need to really strive hard to create a perfect democratic nation.
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