The Ideology of Muammar Gaddafi and the Jamahiriya System 💚
Gaddafi introduced a political ideology known as the Jamahiriya, a system he described as “rule by the people themselves” without traditional political parties or a conventional parliament.
He believed that true democracy should come through direct participation of citizens in decision-making rather than through elected representatives alone.
🔹 How was the system supposed to work theoretically?
Citizens participated in Popular Congresses
Decisions were discussed and voted on directly
Popular Committees were responsible for implementing decisions
According to the ideology, the people themselves were the ultimate source of authority
📖 Gaddafi explained these ideas in The Green Book, which presented his views on politics, economics, and society.
🔹 Economically:
The system focused on the state’s role in supporting education, healthcare, and housing, while using oil revenues to fund national projects and public services.
🔹 The idea behind the Jamahiriya:
The stated goal was to create a system different from both capitalism and communism, based on what Gaddafi called the “authority of the masses.”