Libya; From the collapse of the state to a collapsed state

Document Type : Original Research

Author
Assistant Professor, African Studies Center, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Citing the "Annual Report of Fragile States Index" provided by the "Peace Fund" from 2006 to 2023, this article argues that Libya was not an example of a failed state at the time of state collapse. Although all governments in the world have a degree of weakness and incapability in providing and realization of their main tasks, Libya's rank during Gaddafi period, compared to other countries, was not a rank that could be considered as an example of a fragile state. The necessity of reforming the produced literature provoked the writer to seek an answer to the question of why the post-Gaddafi government of Libya has moved towards a collapsed government. Prioritizing domestic reasons for this issue over regional and international ones, this article argues that; the government's inability in exclusive use of power; the political role of Islamists in Libyan government; the role of Libyan former officials in the new government; terrorist groups with an Islamist approach such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda; the role of Islam in the laws and political and social life of the country; disagreement over the types of political governmental structure; disputes related to the electoral system; ways of allocating the seats of the National Congress to the representatives and the methods of choosing a new body to draft the constitution, are the most important reasons why the Libyan government is moving towards a "collapsed state".


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