mr president libya is a country where human rights are routinely abused and democracy is non-existent
colonel gaddafi has never stood for election since coming to power forty-one years ago
indeed political parties are banned
gaddafi is the fidel castro of africa
he tries to portray himself as a benevolent father of his own people even claiming that he has no formal role in the state hierarchy
we in my country the uk know him differently as a previous sponsor of terrorism in particular the lockerbie bombing of nineteen eighty-eight
to polish up his international image he has to his credit i suppose compensated grieving families but in truth the maverick gaddafi would be totally ostracised by the west were it not for libya's prodigious reserves of oil and gas
this gives gaddafi leverage over the eu and in particular he has sought to divide the council by courting the leadership of certain member states
nevertheless on pragmatic grounds i accept the need for cordial trading and diplomatic relations between the eu and libya under a framework agreement
but i do fear that all we are really doing is consolidating gaddafi's power which in due course inevitably will pass to one of his sons in a dynastic succession akin to that of north korea
