GUARDED HOPE IN LIBYA AND EAST TIMOR

This weekend the people of Libya and East Timor will be going to the polls. They have a few things in common, but mostly hope and fear.

The half-island nation of East Timor has had a troubled history. It freed itself from Portuguese rule in 1975, only to be occupied by Indonesia soon after. The subsequent struggle cost the lives of approximately 200,000 people, over half due to direct conflict and the rest through malnutrition. The 1999 UN sponsored referendum, which resulted in a clear vote for independence, was followed by such vicious reprisals by militias backed by Indonesia, that first Australia and then the UN had to intervene. The situation was so volatile, that the UN stayed and administered the nation for three years.

Independence was formally declared on May 20, 2002 with Xanana Gusmão sworn in as the country's first President. The dire economic situation, however, led to further outbreaks of violence and further interventions from Australia and the UN. 1,200 UN police officers are still stationed there and are expected to leave as long as the situation does not deteriorate after the election.

The two main parties are the left-wing Fretilin Party who are running on a social platform and the centre left National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) which is currently in power, with Xanana Gusmão as Prime Minister.

East Timor could be rich thanks to its off-shore oil deposits and the only thing that is keeping prosperity at bay is greed, corruption and ineptitude.

Libya's story is similar. After an interim period following Italy's colonial rule, which saw France and Britain administer the nation from 1943 to 1951, Libya was formally declared an independent monarchy under King Idris. This former freedom fighter and grandson of Ali as-Senussi, the founder of the Senussi Muslim sufi order, was then overthrown by Muammar Gaddafi's 1969 coup. He in turn was ousted and killed in October 2011 by events following the "Arab Spring". We then had a transitional government, more internecine fighting and now an election. And we must not forget the oil.

Sabratha, Roman Theatre Libya

When Sartre said: "l'enfer c'est les autres" he had a point, but the inverse is also true. Whoever these new leaders may be, let them bring the prosperity that is within both nations' reach.