Flood disaster deepens political rift in Libya

ISTANBUL

The flood disaster that killed thousands of people in Libya has further deepened political rifts between the country’s east and west.

More than 4,000 people were killed and thousands of others went missing when floods caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel ravaged eastern Libya last month.

The deadly floods came amid a years-long political division that engulfed the North African country since the fall of strongman Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The situation worsened in the country last year when the East Libya-based parliament appointed a new government led by former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha.

Head of Tripoli-based government Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, however, rejected the decision, saying he would cede power only to a government that comes through an “elected parliament.”

The political rivalry between the two administrations even escalated following the Sept. 10 floods amid a dispute over how to manage humanitarian aid to flood-stricken civilians.
Most of the aid to the flood victims was received by the Tripoli-based government since it enjoys international recognition, unlike the East Libya-based government, which is only recognized by Egypt.

The Dbeibeh government is also recognized by the Central Bank of Libya, giving the Tripoli-based government the upper hand in providing assistance to the afflicted in areas outside its control.

‘Fait accompli’

In response, the East Libya-based government sought to pursue a “fait accompli” policy in dealing with the aid dispatched by its rival in Tripoli.

The government was accused by activists of hindering aid delivery to the flood-hit areas in eastern Libya amid the current political differences.

Ibrahim al-Darsi, a member of the East Libya-based parliament, said it was “natural” for the government to disrupt aid delivery by its rival administration in Tripoli.

“The disaster occurred in the east, and it’s natural for the eastern government not to allow the western administration to intervene,” he said in televised statements.

Darsi called on the central bank to allocate money for the East Libya-based government to provide aid to civilians affected by the floods.

For its part, the East Libya-based government plans to hold an international aid conference on Oct. 10 for rebuilding the flood-ravaged areas.

The government plan, however, was seen by activists in west Libya as an attempt to gain political legitimacy in the wake of the flood disaster.

Rivalry

On Sept. 14, the East Libya-based parliament passed an emergency budget of 10 billion dinars ($2 billion) to mitigate the impact of the deadly floods.

But the move drew opposition from the Tripoli-based Supreme Council of State, which acts as a senate.

Council chairman Mohamed Takala sent an official correspondence to Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh pointing out that the allocation of funds for emergencies was the responsibility of the government, not the parliament.

Takala argued that the budget law should have been prepared by the executive branch and submitted to the Tripoli-based assembly for approval.

The budget law “is a matter of national security that no person or institution can monopolize,” Takala said.

The Tripoli-based government, meanwhile, requested assistance from the World Bank to manage the funds allocated for rebuilding the flood-hit areas in eastern Libya. In an official request, the government asked for help in assessing the scale of damage caused by the floods, launching programs for urgent money transfers to the flood victims, and managing the funds allocated for rebuilding.

The move was seen as an attempt by the Tripoli-based government to withdraw the card of managing the reconstruction funds from its rival administration in East Libya.

As the rift continues to cast its shadow over aid delivery to the flood victims, civilians took to the streets on Sept. 18 in the eastern city of Derna, hit hardest by the catastrophic flooding, to demand the rebuilding of their homes as soon as possible.

Demonstrators also demanded accountability and legal action against those responsible for the disaster.

Worried that the protests could spill over to other cities, the eastern government chose the Derna Municipal Council as its “scapegoat.”

The municipal council was dissolved on Sept. 19, and an investigation was launched against all its members.

It is still difficult to predict the impact of the flood disaster on the political scene in Libya, but observers expect that public pressure will increase in the coming period to end the political division in Libya.

• Flood disaster
• Libya