Doubts start to surface as ‘hard slog’ of building a new country begins

LIBYA’S rebel leader knows the hard part is only just beginning. After a whirlwind assault on Tripoli, Mustapha Abdul Jalil delivered a sombre message to his troops and the world, declaring an end to the “era of Gaddafi” but adding that there was still much to be done and pitfalls to be avoided.

Earlier this month, Mr Jalil’s National Transitional Council set out its blueprint for a 20-month process. The first step is for the rebel leadership in Benghazi to move to Tripoli to set up an interim government within 30 days of the city’s capture. The council would govern for eight months while elections were held to choose a 200-member interim national congress. Full elections would follow a new constitution.

Rebel leaders claim they are already in talks with senior figures in Tripoli and they plan to keep much of the existing security infrastructure in place – avoiding the mistakes of Iraq,.

However, the plan is already in doubt. A cabinet-in-waiting was dissolved less than a fortnight ago amid the fall-out from the assassination of the rebels’ military chief.

“It’s one thing to fight the hard fight, it’s another to get on with the hard slog of building a new country. But there’s a visceral commitment to not doing the same thing as Gaddafi,” said one western diplomat in Benghazi.

But while the opposition leaders have gone out of their way to reassure the world of a stable transition, other figures doubt whether they have the strength to force through their programme.

“We heard little about plans for governing today, no specifics, so there is concern about whether they really have a plan,” said one observer.

With Gaddafi gone there are also fears the rebels could splinter

“The immediate post-Gadhafi scenario is likely to see the formation of a fractured transitional government, one with limited territorial control and influence, and a relatively devolved power structure,” said Henry Smith, Libya analyst of Control Risks.

“The removal of the common threat of Gaddafi will be likely to highlight the ongoing tensions between the various, diffuse armed militias and political leaderships throughout Libya.”