Libya and the Arab Spring

Presentation by

Ahmed Kraimafor

UWM School of Continuing Education Dean’s Distinguished LectureOctober 12, 2011

Tunisia December 17, 2010

TUNISIA

TUNISIA DEMOGRAPHICS

Area 163,610Population 10,629,186p , 9,Unemployment 13%Unemployment (15-24) 30% p y ( 5 4) 3Per capita $9,400

TUNISIA Timeline

1881 - French occupy Tunis. Tunisia is a French protectorate from 1883. 1934 - Habib Bourguiba founds the pro-independence Neo-Dustour Party. 1956 -Tunisia becomes independent with Bourguibaas prime minister.

T i i b bli 1957 -Tunisia becomes a republic.

TUNISIA Timeline

1981 - First multi-party parliamentary elections since independence. President Bourguiba's party wins by a landslide. 1987 - Bloodless palace coup: Prime Minister ZineEl Abidi B Ali h P id t B ib d l d El Abidine Ben Ali has President Bourguiba declared mentally unfit to rule and takes power himself. 1988 Referendum abolishing Presidency for Life 5 1988- Referendum abolishing Presidency for Life. 5 year terms, limit of 2 terms.

TUNISIA Timeline

1989- As sole candidate, Ben Ali wins first term as president by 99.3% of the vote. Ruling party wins all 114 seats in the National Assembly.1994- Ben Ali wins second term by 99.9% of the vote1999- Ben Ali wins a third term (only 94.1%) 2004- 4th term (94.5%)2009- 5th term (89.6%)

TUNISIA Timeline

2010- December 17th: Mohammed Bouazizi, a fruit seller sets himself on fire in protest.

D b 8th B Ali i ti l TV 2010- December 28th: Ben Ali, in a national TV address blames extremists and foreign media for the unrest. Three governors from the Sidi Bouzid area gare dismissed.2011 - January 14th: Ben Ali declares Emergency R l tl i th i f th 3 l Rule outlawing gatherings of more than 3 people. Promises to hold parliamentary elections within 6 months. Flees to Saudi Arabia the same day.y

Egypt January 25, 2011

EGYPT

EGYPT DEMOGRAPHICS

Area 1,001,450Population 82,079,632p , 79, 3Population below poverty line 20%(2005) Unemployment 9.4%p y 9 4Unemployment (15-24) 24.8Per capita $6,200 p $ ,

EGYPT Timeline

1956- July 23rd: Nasser ousts King Farouk.1970- September 28th: Nasser dies and Sadat 97 pbecomes president. Sadat eases some of the restrictions, imposed on political parties/groups, by NNasser.1981- October 6th: Sadat assassinated.

M b k b id t D l “ ti l t t f Mubarak becomes president. Declares “ national state of emergency”

EGYPT Timeline

1987- October: Mubarak wins a second term, by 91% of the vote, in a national referendum. National state of emergency renewed in 1988.1993- October: Mubarak wins a third term with

6 %96.3%1999- Mubarak, fourth term with 93.8%

’ d i d b li i l i 1990’s - dominated by political suppression, especially of the Muslim brotherhood.

EGYPT Timeline

2002- September: Mubarak’s son, Gamal, elected secretary-general of the ruling party (NDP). A major step towards succeeding his father as the president.2004- Crack down on Muslim Brotherhood (54

t d i M ) Al Gh d t d ft tharrested in May). Al-Ghad part approved after 4th

application. Only two parties approved since 1977.2005 Mubark wins fifth term (88 6) MB’s share 2005- Mubark wins fifth term (88.6) MB s share increases from 17 seats to 88.

EGYPT Timeline

2008- National emergency law extended until 2010 (Mubarak promised to abolish during his 2005 presidential campaign.April 6, 2008- National strike dayJanuary 25, 2011- Day of revolt

Libya: Prelude to a revolutionFebruary 17, 2011February 17, 2011

LIBYA

LIBYA DEMOGRAPHICS

Area 1,759,540,759,54Population 6,597,960Population below poverty line 33%? p p y 33Unemployment 30%Per capita $14,400p $ 4,4

LIBYA Timeline

1911- Libya is under Italian rule.1942- Italians removed by Allies and country is 94 y ydivided between the French and the British.Libya gains independence under King Idris.1956- Oil exploration begins.1961- Libya starts exporting oil for the first time.1969- Gaddafi depose Idris in a bloodless coup.

LIBYA Timeline

1970- Closure of American airbases in Tripoli and Tobruk.1971- Proposal to Federation of Arab Republic (Libya, Egypt, and Syria) fails.1972- Libya-Egypt merger fails.1973- April 16th: In the city of Zuwara, Gaddafi d l h “C l l R l i ” d f di f declares the “Cultural Revolution” and founding of the “Revolutionary Committees.”

LIBYA Timeline

1976- April 7th: Members of the students unions, at 97 p 7 ,the Universities of Benghazi and Tripoli clash government sponsored student unions. Leaders of th i d d t t d t i t d d the independent student union are arrested and jailed.1977 Libya becomes “the Great Socialist People’s 1977- Libya becomes the Great Socialist People s Libyan Arab jamahiriyah.”1977- April: The first anniversary of the Libyan 1977 April: The first anniversary of the Libyan students uprising. Student leaders arrested and hung in public (on national television. Gaddafi forms death squads to hunt down Libyan dissidents.

Confrontation(s) with the West

1981- US shoots down two Libyan airplanes over the Gulf of Sirt.1984 - UK breaks diplomatic relations with Libya over the shooting of a British police officer, outside th Lib b i L dthe Libyan embassy in London.1988- December 21st: The Lockerbie plane bombing.

UN i i i Lib1992- UN imposes sanctions against Libya.1996- Abu Salim massacre.

Warming up to the West

LIBYA Timeline

2004- March: Tony Blair visits Libya (first visit for a British PM since 1943).2006- May US restores diplomatic relations with Libya.2008- Silvio Berlusconi issues an apology, to Libya, over Italian Occupation. Five billion dollar investment as compensationinvestment as compensation.September 2008- Rice visits Libya.

LIBYA Timeline

2009- Gaddafi visits Italy, elected chairman of the 9 y,African Union, celebrates 40 years of power, Lockerbie bomber released from prison on for h it i ?humanitarian reasons?2009/2010- Reform efforts to ease the transfer of power from Gaddafi to his son and to tame the power from Gaddafi to his son and to tame the massesMothers of the victims of Abu Salim massacre hire a Mothers of the victims of Abu Salim massacre hire a lawyer and intensify the pressure on the government

February 15, 2011- Lawyer representing the Abu y 5, y p gSalim families is arrested for demanding that the government address the massacre. A protest calling f hi l b i B h i f l d b ll f for his release began in Benghazi fueled by calls for demonstration transmitted through the internet, signal the beginning of the revolution signal the beginning of the revolution.