The jigsaw puzzle is slowly moving into shape in Libya even as Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and his supporters are preparing to make a last stand — militarily, or through diplomatic means. The National Transitional Council (NTC) is making moves that now clearly underline that they will be the ones who will be given the responsibility of bringing normalcy to the country and then, by that right, probably be deemed fit to govern Libya into a new era.
The first step towards endorsing their credentials was taken when world leaders from 60 countries welcomed the NTC into the international fold, agreed to unfreeze Libyan assets worth billions of dollars for the development of the country and open embassies in Tripoli, while Gaddafi continues to bay into the skies for justice from his stronghold in Sirte.
The threats that emanate from the former dictator have now turned hollow as the world has reduced him to the status of a pariah. Libya may slowly be discovering its new identity and to ensure that it does, the interim authorities are set to move to Tripoli from their stronghold in Benghazi. The revolutionaries have now assumed the mantle of rulers and a whole new ball game may be on the cards.
With the last few dissenting voices in the international arena — namely China and Russia — sanctioning the legitimacy of the NTC, the onus will now be on leaders Mustafa Abdul Jalil and Mahmoud Jibril to steer the Libyan people towards a path of stability, peace and reconciliation.
The route to this ideal proposal may not be easy given that they have to placate the many tribal factions in the country especially those who had pledged their allegiance to Gaddafi, but a determined singlemindedness should see them being successful in their purpose. The panacea for Libya's ills is democracy and, after 42 years of repression, they must welcome it.
