Libya's Local Elites and the Politics of Alliance Building. Issue 1 (2nd January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lacher, Wolfram
• Is Part Of: Mediterranean politics. Volume 21:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 64
• Page End: 85
• Publication Date: 2016-01-02
• Subjects: Mediterranean Region -- Politics and government -- 1945- -- Periodicals; 320.91822
• DOI: 10.1080/13629395.2015.1081451
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1362-9395

Abstract

Abstract: In post-revolutionary Libya, the collapse of central authority and the fragmentation of territorial control have produced a fundamental change in the political elite. Local elites emerged as the leading actors and held the key to whether central authority would be re-established. These local elites faced strategic choices in building alliances among themselves: they could seek to enter and back the central government; build an anti-government coalition to exert veto power; or focus on consolidating control over their local turf. What determines local elite strategies? This article charts the rise of local elites in Libya and examines their attempts at alliance building until autumn 2014. Based on five weeks of field research conducted in 2014, the article analyses elite strategies in three Libyan cities: Misrata, Bani Walid and Tobruk.