It is no surprise that the largest proponents of a federal system of government in Libya are from Cyrenaica, Libya's Eastern region that benefitted from the federalist model in Libya's 1951 constitution. Some Cyrenaicans, most notably the self-declared Cyrenaican Transitional Council, seek to return to federalism as a way of overcoming the harm of neglect under Qadhafi's 42-year centralized rule, even by force if necessary. It should be pointed out that there are proponents of federalism in each of Libya's three main regions, not just in the East.Sebha, capital of Libya's southern Fezzan region, has also experienced federalist and anti-federalist demonstrations. With the Libya Herald's recent headline 'Sebha Anti-Federalist Demo Flops' one wonders whether federalism proponents are on the rise in Fezzan, or whether the federalist question is simply a non-issue in Fezzan that has attracted scant attention.
Federalism: Not Just for Cyrenaica?