Death of a dictator

This week, we look at what the business press has to say about the death of Libyan dictator Mu'ammer Gaddafi.

The final act

The death of the Libyan dictator is the final act of a successful revolution, according to The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper writes that the country enters its transition phase to democracy with some advantages.

… [Libya] is a small country of 6.4 million that has oil, a well-educated population and good infrastructure that has been damaged but not destroyed in eight months of fighting. Oil money can buy plenty of domestic good will as long as it is perceived to be shared fairly and overseen by a legitimate government. …

A timely end

The Financial Times describes Gaddafi’s death as “timely” and says that the end of the dictatorship should provide encouragement to other countries in the Middle East. For the West, the transition to democracy in Libya will present political, economic and military challenges.

... Thanks to its generally well-run oil and gas industry, [Libya] has the resources to fund the necessary physical reconstruction. … If Libya requests it, the west should be ready to provide technical assistance in this process. On the military front, however, now that Gaddafi no longer threatens his own people, the west should avoid outstaying its welcome. …