The party and the hangover

AFTER a brief bout of euphoria to mark the second anniversary of the rebellion against Muammar Qaddafi on February 17th, Libyans soon sank back into the less joyful realisation that political, economic and security reforms are proceeding at a snail’s pace at best.

Days before the anniversary, the national congress, a proto-parliament elected last July to supervise the writing of a new constitution, decided instead to call a fresh election to a new 60-strong commission. It would then be asked to take on the job. This may add a year to the original timetable, which envisaged an election in the next few months to a full-blown parliament enshrined in a new constitution.