On 30 June, Mieczysław Boduszyński, an academic and former US diplomat, observed in an op-ed for Newlines Magazine how former Qadhafi loyalists have been able to forge a political career in post-Qadhafi Libya. According to Boduszyński, this is exemplified by Abdul Hameed Dabaiba, who came from a family of wealthy economic elites that prospered under Qadhafi. Dabaiba flipped to support the revolutionaries in 2011 and through his skilful navigation of Libyan politics rose to become the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) first Prime Minister. This political opportunism enabled Dabiaba to bridge the East-West divide and make inroads with pro-Gadhafi groups, tribes, and individuals. While Boduszyński cautions that political opportunism has its costs, he argues that it can benefit successful transitions and peace processes in divided societies, concluding that in Libya, ‘the political opportunists have triumphed’.Click here to read the full article.
Libya and the Triumph of the Opportunists