The Democratic Party, DP, that was established on July 14, 2011, following the outbreak of the February 17 Libyan revolution, and claims to be the first Libyan political party said in a statement that it will not take part in the forthcoming elections for the National Council.
In a statement on behalf of the party, its founder, Ahmed Shebani gives the reasons for the decision. He explains the party makes secularism the cornerstone of its political philosophy and programme, but unlike the Turkish experience “our secularism is derived from Islam itself. It is now the time to make the separation between mosque and state in order for us to emerge from our dark ages and reclaim our lost dignity.”
Evidently, the DP's ideological and political vision is both new and unique. Its implementation will require nothing less than a new movement of religious renewal and a concerted political campaign. The DP's primary role is to instil the values of secularism and democracy in Muslim political discourse.
“Political Islam is a failure. We need to stop living a life of denial. The only way for us to emerge from our dark ages is by making this long over due separation. Hence, the Arab Spring is not about replacing a military dictatorial secular hat with a religious dictatorial fundamentalist turban!"
The statement adds tha the DP is fully aware that a lot of foreign and Arabian money is being injected into the elections of the Natioanl Assembly with the sole purpose of subverting Libya's transition to democracy. The aim of this conspiracy, it adds, is for Libya to become either a failed Wahabi state or a false democracy in order to prevent the spread of democracy to the oil rich states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
It also accuses a certain Libyan political party that, it says, has a satellite TV station "set up and paid for by a Gulf state whereas some other parties are virtually penniless.”
The DP states that it has not received any funds from any foreign, Arab or Libyan sources and it still does not have a bank account. It demands that all the candidates taking part in the forthcoming elections give full details of their finances.
Mr Shebani says in the statement, that the DP has set its top political priorities to be the creation of jobs for Libyan youth and the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Libya by the Security Council of the United Nations.
(Source: Tripoli Post)
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