Ghariani urges mass demonstrations over Libya's political stalemate

Libyan Express

23-05-2025

BY Libyan Express May 23, 2025 - 08:31 Updated: May 23, 2025 - 08:33 Religious authority calls for public mobilisation over Libya's political future
Sheikh Sadiq Al-Ghariani, Libya's influential Grand Mufti, has issued a dramatic call for widespread public demonstrations aimed at bringing down the country's entire transitional governmental apparatus.
Speaking on Tanasuh TV , Al-Ghariani urged Libyans to mount large-scale protests demanding not simply elections or a change of leadership, but the complete dissolution of all transitional bodies that have governed since the 2011 revolution. His inflammatory rhetoric marks a significant escalation in opposition to Libya's prolonged political paralysis.
'Citizens should organise mass demonstrations calling for the conclusion of transitional phases,' the powerful cleric declared, insisting that protesters must focus on wholesale institutional change rather than mere governmental reshuffles or concerns about regional representation.
The Grand Mufti reserved his harshest criticism for a recent advisory committee, dismissing its twenty-member composition as wholly illegitimate and unauthorised to represent the Libyan people. He characterised the body as little more than a front for international organisations, propped up by parliamentary support and designed to perpetuate the very transitional arrangements that have left Libya mired in political uncertainty for more than a decade.
Al-Ghariani's intervention comes against a backdrop of mounting public exasperation with Libya's seemingly interminable transition period. Since Colonel Gaddafi's overthrow, the oil-rich North African nation has been beset by rival governments, repeatedly postponed elections, and a succession of interim administrations that have singularly failed to deliver stable governance.
The religious leader's considerable authority within Libya's conservative society lends substantial weight to his political pronouncements, potentially mobilising public sentiment in a country where tribal, regional, and religious loyalties frequently trump institutional allegiances. However, Libya's deeply fractured security environment and entrenched regional divisions could severely hamper any coordinated mass protest movement.
His call for comprehensive institutional dismantling rather than incremental reform reflects growing impatience amongst Libyans with both their political establishment and the international mediators who have overseen the troubled transition process.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Libyan Express.
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