It was springtime, all right! The protesters had young and fresh faces and were calling for freedom, democracy and justice. They demanded the toppling of certified dictators with long, dark histories. Then, the protesters got what they asked for. They had a governance system that could make all their dreams come true. The world applauded and approved. Elections were free and clean. Representatives of the people took over parliaments and governments. It was like a fairy tale, and we have reached the part where we should be announcing: "And they lived happily ever after." So, why can't we do so? A lot has happened since a young street vendor from Sidi Bouzid in the poor south of Tunisia set himself on fire to protest a slap on the face by a policewoman angered by his objection to the seizure of his goods. In two years, that fire spread from one place to another, until most Arabs were down in the street calling for a new form of government. From Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean to Bahrain on the Arabian Gulf, and from Syria in the north to Yemen in the south, it seems that people woke up one spring morning and decided it was time for change. As spring turns into winter, we are left with mind-boggling and heartbreaking questions:
* Are we ready for such a complete change? Or is it a case of what the Iraqis have already proved: Western democracy doesn't work for us?
* Why are Iraqis, Egyptians, Tunisians and Libyans — the first members of the New Age club - still in the streets throwing fire bombs at public buildings, and at soldiers and each other?
* Why are elected governments still fighting their own people?
* Why is Libya less united and secure a year after the success of its revolution?
* Why does the Yemeni president work from home and avoid living and working in the presidential palace? And who is behind the assassination campaign that has left hundreds of officials, especially from the former south of Yemen, dead and injured?
* Why has no meaningful progress or development been achieved in these nations?
* Why are they worse off today with freedom and public representation than they were under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Gaddafi and Ali Abdullah Saleh? I don't pretend to have satisfying answers to these question, but I may have some clues. Democracy does work but the cleanup should have come first. Governments that were built over decades of military rule cannot disappear overnight. Systems that were integrated into every aspect of life cannot be replaced by a change at the top. And people with mega interests, threatened with investigation, punishment and replacement, will not just fade away peacefully, or wait until heads roll. What is happening in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen is a fight to the death by the loyalists of the old regimes -the “folool.”
Politicians, generals, administrators, businesspeople, judges, lawyers, and media owners are defending their interests. They get help from outsiders, including old friends of dictators, to sabotage the movement to full democracy. They know that once elected governments start working on their election promises, they will lose their cover and privileges, and will ultimately pay for their crimes. Labor unions in Tunisia are striking most of the year unless they are busy sabotaging railroads to stop exports. The National Salvation Front in Egypt is calling for protests and is against every step to stabilize the nation and move forward. In Yemen, the former president is conspiring with his agents in the army and security services to keep the nation in a state of fear, hunger and instability. The media, owned by the opposition, are working non-stop to criticize elected governments and shame elected officials. Add to this the inexperience of the new governors and governed, and the instability of the new systems, and you get the full picture. The situation in Iraq is quite different. The change came as a result of a foreign invasion and an imposed, corrupted democracy. Iraq wasn't part of the Arab Spring, but it suffers from the same hangover. So where do we go from here? I expect the road to be bumpier. With decreasing financial resources, governments are getting weaker in the face of hardening opposition. International supporters — lending agencies, donors and investors — may get worried and hesitate to help. Weak or failing governments encourage the spread of radicalism. In the case of Yemen, add separatism. It is dangerous for everyone to let this happen. The world will pay a heavy price for neglecting to support democratic governments in the Arab world. It is the duty of wealthier and more stable neighbors to be the first to help. UN institutions and world superpowers should follow suit. Foreign hands encouraging the “folool” should stop their activity, or be made to stop. World peace, prosperity and security, especially in our region, depend on this. — Dr. Khaled Batarfi is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah. He can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Kbatarfi
