Ahmed Ruhayem BENGHAZI — A significant number of residents in Benghazi appear determined to go out onto the streets of the city Friday (Feb. 15) in support of Cyrenaica federalists' demands for greater political and economic powers for the east. The date commemorates the early uprising in Benghazi. It was supposed to start on Feb. 17, but locals, impatient to get rid of the Gaddafi regime, started two days earlier. The Libya Herald has spoken to a number of local who plan to join the rally. Many say that attendance in not so much about support for federalism. Rather, it is about waving the flag for Benghazi and the east of the country, demanding investment, jobs and more attention to the cradle of the revolution. Longtime opponent of the Gaddafi and civil society activist, Fathia Gadoura says she is planning on being in front of the North District Court of Benghazi on Feb. 15, as she was during the Feb. 17 2011 revolution. Mother of four university students, she says, “I am not a federalist but the members of General National Congress need to know that there are still people out there who say ‘No! No! No!' and who are not easily bought by cash handouts. “Nothing has been accomplished, no security, no infrastructure, no housing. It's been two years. When someone tells you they need a house and shelter and you give them handouts, that does not solve the problem. It just postpones it. We have heard of huge budgets being allocated but it seems there are no priorities. Instead there are serious mistakes and no accountability.” Much of her resentment is focussed against the General National Congress. “The Congress has done nothing. In fact the National Transitional Council with much less authority did much more for all of Libya during the revolution.” Tarek El-Ghyriane, a young SME consultant who works between Benghazi and Tripoli says he is certainly going out on Friday. His resentment too is against the GNC. “I am not a federalist, but it has been two years and the country has not seen any progress. Unfortunately, the political parties in the GNC are competing with each other and have forgotten their main tasks — appointing an interim government, Constitutional Commission and running a Constitutional referendum. The GNC should not be in the business of handouts and Prime Minister Ali Zidan's government should avoid corruption by steering clear of large contracts.” Another reason for his dissatisfaction is the security situation. “People are afraid to speak their minds. People want to see accountability and justice, starting with the cleansing the judiciary. Where evidence exists, people want murderers and public fund thieves to stand trail, such as Abdullah Al-Senussi and members of the NTC accused of fund misappropriation by NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil. Moreover, the courts should stop using Gaddafi's laws that are still victimizing people today, particularly Gaddafi's property law.” Fadwa Ghaith who heads the Deposit Library at Benghazi University will also be out on Feb. 15. She calls herself a “federalist” but for her the concept is the way that most people outside Libya understand it. For her, federalism is about decentralization. She is not rooted to the idea that it has to be a return to three historic provinces of Libya. Her principle protest, however, is about security. “The prime reason I am going out is to support the police and army. We don't want to have any more multiple security organs, where someone can have his own small army. I am a federalist and want to see the Libyan government decentralized.” — Libya Herald
