Millennial thinking and a new leader for the Arab world

BANGKOK – There are many reasons why countries flourish as there are many reasons why countries fail. If Charter change advocates have proposed a shift to parliamentary system, it is not because presidential systems cannot succeed. It can, as some of our colleagues, opposed to the shift, have already pointed out, citing South Korea and Taiwan. What it does mean, however, is it that the system failed in the Philippines. It is a problem of context and unless we see it that way, we can argue to kingdom come on what is a better system. While both systems have its good and bad points, it becomes a matter of choice. That choice is made because of something that defies definition or comparison. We want change. Pagbabago. Pagbabago ang sigaw ng bayan.

The shift to parliamentary government is millennial thinking. Who knows, maybe, in another hundred, thousand years, when the political context changes, there will be a clamor for a return to presidential system or some other form not yet conceived, albeit with modifications suited to a time we cannot predict nor envision at this point. But today what we have before us is the failure of the presidential system in the Philippines and the possibility of better luck in a parliamentary system. I cannot prove or guarantee that the shift to parliamentary will succeed in our country – that is a future not within my competence to predict. But I can prove that the presidential system has failed in the Philippines and the debris of failure threatens to engulf us all unless we change.

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I began writing this column in Manila but I am rushing to meet my deadline from Bangkok where Thaksin Shinawatra is under siege with problems not dissimilar from us. It now has a parliamentary system but it has not stopped having governance problems. We will have to wait a little while longer to see how they manage their problems in a specific time and place.

My visit has been prompted by news that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi has come together with Muslim leaders from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia to forge a unified stand against the beleaguered Thai prime minister. The message is: that Muslims have united and want Thaksin out. The Muslim worldwide collective has considerable clout with a wide range of persuasive powers and this will make its effects on the Bangkok scene come the April 2 general elections. I am meeting with my media confreres prominently Tcheptai Yong of the Nation Multimedia Group on just how the Muslim part of the equation will bear on Thailand’s crisis.

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Although Saif Al-Islam carries the Gaddafi name, he is well known to have different ideas about how Libya should carry out its leadership in the Arab world. His leadership among the Muslims in this part of the world will be tested. Those who know him well say he has a lot of promise in bearing upon traditional Muslim societies and how these can be brought up to the modern world. For example he is known to have complained to journalists that the lack of democracy sometimes meant appointing the wrong people to key posts. At the moment he said Libya was focused on its economy and how to attract investments.

But most political analysts in the Arab world say that he is the man to watch for Arab leadership. He is his father’s most trusted unofficial envoy and has been known to carry out delicate missions. One such mission was in the Philippines. The young Gaddafi has negotiated for the release of western hostages captured by Abu Sayyaf rebels. It is said that his foundation, GICF is involved in assisting Muslims being "persecuted" in various parts of the world. He tried to persuade the MNLF and MILF (two organizations representing Muslims in the Philippines but with differences in objectives) to cease fighting with each other and to unite.

This may be why he has come back to the region in the eve of Thailand’s April 2 general elections. He wants Muslims to unite to protect and give strength to their brothers in Thailand. His charity was also instrumental in negotiating a $2.7 billion deal over the 1988 bombing of a US airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland. In fact he, on many occasions acted as an informal foreign minister for his father. Better Libyan-US have also been attributed to him. There is an often told story that Saif may be the Libyan prince in Nostradamus III. 27: The Libyan Prince will be powerful in the West, the French will become so inflamed of Arabs, learned in letters he will agree to translate the Arab language into French."

At this moment Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, whose name means the "Sword of Islam", the second son and heir apparent of Libyan President Colonel Muammar Gaddafi fits the bill. He is well educated with diplomatic abilities and acceptable to the west. He is an architect, business school graduate and studied global governance at the prestigious London School of Economics. He heads the Gaddafi Foundation Charity, which funds development projects around the world.

It will require considerable skills to remind Muslims that they will have to unite in the face of the fierce territorial struggle south of Thailand. There are many reasons for the discord in Thailand. One seldom mentioned is the strong arm policy to impose the Thai language and culture and system on the Muslims. The majority of the Pattanese Muslims are of Malay origin, but Islam does not distinguish between Muslims of Arab or Pakistani or Thai or Myanmar origin. Though united in faith, the Muslims have not been able to fight off the pressures from Bangkok.

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My e-mail is [email protected]