Gaddafi's downfall: a warning to all tyrants

12 April 2012

The fall of Tripoli is bringing to an end one of the Arab world's must unpleasant dictatorships, that of Colonel Gaddafi. While Libya's future is uncertain, that has to be a cause for celebration, and far beyond Libya too.

For the rest of the Middle East this is a cataclysmic revolution. The Arab Spring unseated harsh regimes in Egypt and Tunisia, but it has not until this moment toppled an absolute dictatorship such as Gaddafi's. The example to Syria's regime and those rebelling against it will be electric.

But rulers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and elsewhere will feel distinctly uncomfortable watching the jubilation in Tripoli's Green Square.

For Britain, a victim of Libyan-sponsored terrorism over the years, Gaddafi's downfall is welcome. But the rebel victory is a vindication in particular for David Cameron, who in March took what was then a minority position by pushing for UN-sanctioned military action against the regime.

And while British and French air attacks succeeded in their immediate task of preventing Gaddafi's forces from taking revenge on Benghazi, it has been a long road from there to today's victory.
For Libya, the task is now a peaceful transition to democracy - a task made more difficult by the fact that no such government or state has ever existed in Libya. The country must build a government, a judicial system and a civil society from scratch - a far harder task than, for example, that facing Egypt's democracy activists.

As former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind urges on this page, Britain must give them all necessary aid to help them do so. The rebels are divided, and those divisions are likely to become apparent as the victory is sealed. A peaceful and democratic Libya is in the Libyans' best interests - but in ours as well.

Taming roadworks

The Government's announcement that it will consult on a "lane rental" system to reduce disruption from roadworks comes not before time. The Mayor has lobbied for a change in the law for more than a year. The existing system of permits and fines clearly does not work, even with higher fines for companies whose work overruns. As any London driver will attest, the capital's roads have been rendered a mess by roadworks.

"Lane rental", provided it makes it through national and London consultations without being watered down by the utility companies, will mean that they have to pay whenever they dig up roads.

What they pay will vary according to when the work is done, but the incentive will be for them to finish the work as fast as possible, or undertake it at times when it is less disruptive. This discipline should also end the phenomenon of "ghost roadworks" that drag on for weeks or months with no work done while drivers fume. The Mayor says that the system could be in place by next spring. He and ministers need to make that happen: London has suffered from unnecessary roadworks for too long.

Torch heroes

The Olympics will be the greatest ever showcase for London, so it is right that some of our city's unsung heroes should have the chance to carry the torch. As we report today, some of the latest Londoners nominated to do so include the mother of an injured soldier who is a tireless volunteer in her community and a volunteer police special inspector who stood up to rioters in Hounslow two weeks ago. These people are some of the capital's heroes: they deserve to carry the torch for our city.

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