Hichem Karoui…Papers

Hichem Karoui

The Gulf Today, March 19, 2011

There seems to be an irreducible paradox in the increasing demands for liberty, political participation, equality, and justice and the responses given to them; a paradox between: freedom and security. But it is only appearance. For if one uses reason, it becomes clear there is no possible security without the free adherence of people. The recent uprisings happened in countries where security was the chief-concern of the government. Yet, despite the power of the mukhabarat in Tunisia and Egypt, the regimes were incapacitated and bypassed.

It is also clear that the Arab governments confronted to democratic demands have either to enhance their own capacity to satisfy them and adapt their constitutional and legislative structure to embody them, or repress them, which is just a painkiller, not a remedy. Read more

Hichem Karoui

The Gulf Today, March 12, 2011

As the wave of revolt in the Middle East seems growing and far away from ebbing down, the sprint toward democracy with its wide resonance inevitably reminds us of a similar enthusiasm in East Europe two decades ago with the fall of Berlin wall. Some observers however noted a decline in this mood in Eastern Europe and concluded that the public enthusiasm for democracy is not guaranteed to last.

The point was made lately by James Bell, Director of International Survey Research, at “The Pew Research Center.” Based on the results of previous surveys performed by his institution, he stressed that since democratisation is a process that may take more or less a long time, we cannot be sure it is an enduring successful process. Read more

Hichem Karoui

The Gulf Today, March 5, 2011

Whatever the contacts the US and the Western allies have with the Libyan opposition, an all out military intervention by Western powers in Libya is not the best solution. It may even be utterly counter-productive and turn people against the West. Not because they still want Qadhafi, but because it is not right to steal their revolution. It is not the West combat.

They know Qadhafi is isolated and armed indeed. They know he still may harm them. Yet, they also know that regime change and democracy are their own responsibility. Read more

Hichem Karoui

Qadhafi mercenaries

The Gulf Today, February 26, 2011

For over forty years, Qadhafi claimed he was the unique leader of the Libyan people. He was not. Since February 17th, he has the most serious rival any dictator would ever have: the people. It is the people, not any member of the elite, that took to the streets to oust him from power. Like similar revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, politicians would have to rush and join the ranks of the uprising, where the future is happening.

Prior to the February 17th popular revolution, Libya’s often contradictory political dynamics were described as a product of competing interest groups seeking to influence policy within the confines of the country’s authoritarian political system as the country seemed emerging from international isolation. Read more