WA Today
Ruth Pollard
A supporter of Libya’s Justice and Construction Party hands out leaflets at Martyrs’ Square in Tripoli. Photo: AFP
AS LIBYA and Morocco battled it out in the final of the Arab Nations Cup on the eve of Libya’s historic national election, locals gathered in huge groups on the streets or stayed glued to television screens indoors, surging forward with every goal and collapsing with every miss.
Although Libya lost in the penalty shootout, people beamed with pride – who would have thought Libya would make it to the finals, many said, with one commentator wryly noting the team seemed to be flourishing now it was free of Gaddafi.
Many were hoping the country’s remarkable run in the soccer – the finals loss notwithstanding – would continue with its first national election in more than five decades.
With voter registration as high as 80 per cent, and lists of candidates numbering 2562, Libyans went to the polls yesterday to vote in a 200-member congress to replace the National Transitional Council.
At the Al Marsa fish market on Tripoli’s sparkling blue harbour, talk of the election and the revolution that preceded it was based around one central hope – that the new government would draw Libya back from the brink after a year of disunity and militia violence.
Fadi Mohamed Fayed, 38, predicted the election would be ”100 per cent good – only those who supported Gaddafi will tell you anything negative”.
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