Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Libya from 1960 to 1963
The Early Years.
Mohammed Othman Mohamed Otman Assed was born in 1924 in the small village of Zwaya in the Brak region of Fezzan, Libya’s southern province. Merely six years later, the province was under total Italian control.
Having a traditional upbringing that revolved around the mosque and the teachings of many Muslim scholars, Mohamed Otman Assed grew up with an intrinsic sense of morality and justice, further cemented by his father, who was a chief justice in the Sha’ti region – a position that grants him the respect and reverence of the people.
This combination afforded Mohamed Otman Assed the ability to understand the people and their needs.
His teenage years saw him become an activist in the struggle for independence from France. This cause was something near and dear to his heart, often going to immeasurable lengths and risking his life. Ultimately, his activities in Fezzan worried the French occupation and he was arrested in May 1948. While imprisoned, he suffered a great deal of torture and was faced with the most inhumane of circumstances; yet he harbored no hate towards France or his captors, in fact, he would speak highly of some of them and even befriended others later in life. By 1950, Libyan independence was eminent and the French occupation was forced to release him.
Mohamed Otman Assed joined the Constituent Assembly, in 1950, to write Libya’s first constitution, he was the assembly’s youngest member at 26 years old. With Libya now independent and a constitutional monarchy under the guidance and leadership of King Idris I, Mohamed Otman Assed began his political career by being elected as an MP in Libya’s first parliament, and was an elected MP until 1965.
From 1950 until 1963
In Mr. Al-Montassir’s government, Libya’s first, Mohamed Otman Assed was minister of health. During his seven-year tenure, Mohamed Otman Assed was one of the founders of the Libyan Red Crescent, and saw Libya cooperate with the World Health Organization and U.N.I.C.E.F. The focus of his ministry was to combat rampant diseases that were the result of a near non-existent medical sector, such as tuberculosis and malaria, and the development of doctors, nurses and hospital to ensure the sustainability of the emerging health sector.
In Abdel Majid Ka’bar’s subsequent government, Mohamed Otman Assed had a short tenure as minister of economy. During this time, he was responsible for presenting the government’s side of the Tripoli-Fezzan Road project to the house of representatives.
In October of 1960, King Idris appointed Mohammed Othman Mohamed Otman Assed as Prime Minister and tasked him with forming a government. Mohamed Otman Assed accepted the honor, but not before the King had granted him three requests.
- Firstly, Mohamed Otman Assed would appoint the members of his cabinet however he saw fit, with the King’s approval, as required by the constitution.
- Secondly, the King would not have an intermediate deliver message to Mohamed Otman Assed; instead, he would request his presence and speak to him directly.
- Lastly, if the King saw Mohamed Otman Assed was no longer able to carry his duties, then he would resign. Mohamed Otman Assed attributes his success as P.M to this agreement with the King.
While Prime Minister, he had many accomplishments; some of which include:
- Amending the petroleum law to ensure that Libya would receive a fair share of oil revenue.
- Introducing tax reforms that saw big companies pay more tax.
- Strengthening international cooperation with regional and international allies namely: Morocco, the United States, and Arab countries in general.
- Foiling the 1962 coup attempt and subsequently restructuring the military.
- Amending the constitution to change the country form a federal system, albeit all governors were directly appointed by the king, to a unitary system where the government could be more effective in development projects.
- Introducing the first five-year plan that covered all aspects, from agriculture to infrastructure.
Following the constitutional amendment in 1963, Mohamed Otman Assed resigned as prime minister and resumed his duties as member of parliament until 1965. During these two years, Mohamed Otman Assed had managed to lead a majority in parliament despite there being no political parties at the time. After the parliament was dissolved in 1965, Mohamed Otman Assed opted not to run for elections again and instead focus on treatment of some medical issues he had sustained in an accident where his convoy had been struck by a truck.
Around this time, the King honored Mohamed Otman Assed with a medal commemorating his service to his King and country.
Exile from 1969 until 2007
Following the 1969 military coup, Mohamed Otman Assed and his family would live in exile in Morocco. His relationship with the Moroccan monarch, Hassan II, was built on a solid foundation of trust and mutual cooperation stemming from their encounters while Mohamed Otman Assed was Prime Minister. Leaving Libya at the young age of 45, Mohamed Otman Assed was a passionate patriot who saw the new regime as a threat to his people and the region. In exile, he would often call for democratic reforms and worked towards the emancipation of Libya from the grips of a dictatorial regime. His efforts earned him the respect of many and the status of persona non-grata in his home country.
At times he was asked to come back to Libya. However, as tempting as the offers were, and they were, Mohammed Othman Mohamed Otman Assed took a stand and said that he would only return if there were free and fair elections and that if Libya became a democracy.
His efforts towards a democratic Libya angered the tyrannical regime, and in the early 90s three of his children, Saud, Khaled and Abdelsalam, were assassinated; they each left behind a young family. As much as it pained Mohamed Otman Assed, it did little to discourage him. He would lose his wife, Lola Seif, in October of 2002; she had been the source of support and inspiration throughout their life together.
Shortly after, in 2003, he would send a letter to Gaddafi calling for democratic reforms and national reconciliation. Copies of this letter were forwarded to the U.S president and the French president, the leaders of the free world. Unfortunately, Gaddafi’s response was that of threats and vulgar and vicious insults.
Mohammed Othman Mohamed Otman Assed died in his home in Morocco in December of 2007. He leaves behind a legacy of struggle and optimism, forever remembered as a true champion of democracy and friend. A believer in the right to self-determination. His dream for a free, democratic, prosperous Libya has not died with him; it lives on through his legacy.