African Union calls for Libyan Ceasefire and ELECTIONS: The Gov. Accepts, the Rebels Reject

[Distant Observer]

Why are the Rebels and their backers afraid of Elections?

http://www.africareview.com/News/-/979180/1133620/-/hpvc0rz/-/

The African Union has proposed immediate dialog between Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and rebels based in Benghazi to pave way for democratic election.

An AU international conference on Libya agreed to organise negotiations between the warring parties based on political reform which legitimises the aspiration of Libyan people.



Libyan Government has accepted the AU proposal, unconditionally.




A former Libyan prime minister said Friday that his country is ready to hold talks with opposition rebels and to accept political reforms, possibly including elections.

The announcement came only hours after a top African Union official called for a transition period in Libya that would lead to democratic elections. The AU met Friday with Libyan delegates in Ethiopia's capital.

Abdul-Ati al-Obeidi, a member of the delegation, said the current violence in Libya is being carried out by “extremists” and foreign intervention.

“We are ready to discuss what the Libyan people want,” he said. “What kind of reform do they want? If it is elections we are willing to discuss about the details. We are willing to negotiate with anyone. These are our people. There is no division between the Libyan people; there is a division between extremists and the Libyan people.”



The opposition national council (NTC) sent a statement that it was "unable" to attend the AU
peace conference and has not responding to the call for a ceasefire and elections. At the same time, by their actions, the "Rebels" have apparently rejected this proposal, since their representatives have subsequently called for continued strikes on Government forces even as those forces withdraw entirely from all the towns of the Eastern province.

Rebel leaders have refused negotiations for peace, but are actively negotiating Oil deals with coalition members.

My questing is this: which side is more uncompromising and dictatorial in their attitude?

While both sides use inflammatory rhetoric -- with Gaddafi's rants being unequaled -- from everything I have seen from the earliest stages of the current insurgency, it is the rebels who have been uncompromising and who have repeatedly refused mediation and dialog.

Am I mistaken? I really want to understand what is going on here and why we are killing people in Libya.

[Drale]

1. Would you trust any election while the government that is murdering

its own people is still around? I sure as hell would not.

[Distant Observer]

3. And what people are the "rebels" killing? Please deal with FACTS of a Civil War

The call is for a ceasefire and an internationally negotiated roadmap for a non-violent resolution.
The Gov has accepted inviting independent public opinion poll to Libya and now is willing to have democratic elections.

What is wrong with that? I certainly prefer that to endless killings.

[ooglymoogly]

36. A large contingent of mercenaries brought in to protect Qaddafi

from his people; for one thing.

Keep up with the news if you are going to make such a vague statement.

Qaddafi is a proven tyrant and cannot be trusted for a second. He is looking for time to regroup, as he has done before.

[Fool Count]

22. It would be very easy to have elections organized

and monitored by UN, African Union or both. Why would you not trust the result of those?

[EFerrari]

26. It was good enough for Honduras. n/t

[ooglymoogly]

37. +1 for getting it. nt

[Posteritatis]

2. "Possibly" including elections

Yeah, that's worth jumping at, I'm sure.

Libya's government claimed to declare ceasefires a few times so far, too. If they said water was wet I'd have to run to a sink to make sure.

[The Magistrate]

4. African Union, Sir Pretty Much Is The Dictator's Club

They have no credibility in this situation.

[Distant Observer]

5. A Disgraceful Falsehood Sir: Many democracies in the AU as compared to the Arab League

In fact the AU has been begging for Assistance from the UN and the West to resolve conflicts and
support democratic reform and governance in many countries on the Continent.

It is AU soldiers that are being threatened or killed in many conflicts under UN peacekeeping missions.

[The Magistrate]

6. You Know, Sir, There May Be Something To Various Theories Of Parallel Universes....

Perhaps you inhabit one where the African Union is composed of staunch Whigs and Jeffersonians....

"One man, one vote, once."

[Distant Observer]

28. IMHO Certainly, people who grow up in America live in a different universe

World affair, the global economy, ideological and theological knowledge is wonderfully skimpy and is
totally swamped by deeply embedded world-view assumptions inculcated by the media as a result of a life-time
of consumption.

[The Magistrate]

31. Well, You Keep On Shoveling, Sir

Any time you want to demonstrate deep knowledge, feel free to get down to it....

"You will not rise to the occasion, you will default to your level of training."

[Distant Observer]

32. Your careless reference to the African Union as a" Dictator's Club" shows deep knowledge?? WOW

[The Magistrate]

33. By Not Even The Most Stretched Definition, Sir

Can you honestly count more than about half a dozen democratic polities among the body's membership. There are a number of states which tolerate to some degree a neutered opposition in lip-service to democratic forms, but that is hardly the same thing.

[rug]

7. That's every African state except Morocco.

Maybe we should impose sanctions on the entire continent.

[The Magistrate]

8. As A Body, Sir, It Has Supported Sovereignty And Existing Rulers Over All Other Considerations

It has no credibility in this situation.

[rug]

9. Credibility is a matter of opinion.

How did you like the speech?

[The Magistrate]

10. The Speech, Sir? Not Too Impressed, Personally

It probably had the popular effect that was needed, however.

[Distant Observer]

29. So right. It is amazing how American their form of "Democracy" is the only valid form

even though it obviously is not working very well.

[The Magistrate]

35. Now We Have It Straight, Sir, In This Over-Looked Little Gem Of Yours

You consider one-party rule to be democracy, and the leader of the party in a state so ruled not to be a dictator....

[Hugabear]

13. And the Arab League does?

Methinks the Arab League isn't much better, yet somehow we should listen to whatever they say

[The Magistrate]

18. Indeed, Sir, No Better, But, In This Particular Circumstance, More Useful....

"Can't nobody here play this game?"

[Distant Observer]

27. I agree. The appeal to the "Arab League" was a deceiptful game

[David__77]

19. Isn't that also true of the Arab League?

Algeria and few countries have pluralistic systems, but not most. The African Union has many problems, but also has pluralistic countries like South Africa, for instance.

[joshcryer]

21. The Arab League was signing on to Venezuela's pitiful mediation process.

Gaddafi marched onward, however. It basically went nowhere.

[Distant Observer]

23. Arab League is mostly Monarchies that hate Gaddafi for overthowing a monarch and often

threatening to support popular revolutions in their countries. It is so ludicrous for the Western powers to engage in the fraud that Arab League support provides some moral basis for getting Gaddafi while in fact they are,in effect, acting as hired assassins for the Gulf Council of royals.

[backscatter712]

11. Fuck that. Gaddafi won't negotiate in good faith.

If I were in the rebel alliance, I wouldn't stop fighting until Gaddafi's hanging from a meat-hook.

[Swede]

12. Kinda like a wolf negotiating with lambs.

Khaddafy has shown his true colors,there is no negotiating with him.

[joshcryer]

14. Same people who called a ceasefire yet bombarded 2 cities and advanced on a third?

:rofl:

Fucking bullshit.

[FLPanhandle]

15. The rebels aren't stupid

Only an exceptional idiot would believe Gaddafi's ceasefires.

[bobbolink]

16. Or those who are now committed to calling Revolutionaries frauds.

[joshcryer]

20. They got tricked by the flag of surrender tactic (lowest of the low tactic).

Hold a white flag out, approach, and then start firing. Very very low tactic.

[reorg]

17. Why would these violent, racist rapists stop their campaign

for control of the oil resources while their air force can bomb any resistance with impunity?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x595080

[Arkana]

24. Yeah, can't imagine why the rebels wouldn't wanna talk to the guy that said

he's going to slaughter every last one of them.

It's truly a mystery.

[Distant Observer]

25. He also offered DIALOG, COOPERATION, UNCONDITIONAL AMNESTRY

The one-sided bigotry and lies is truly a mystery.

The question is: Why are the allies afraid of internationally supervised ELECTIONS!

[Shiver]

34. He's said a lot of things.

Including that people who do not "love him" do not "deserve to live". He also vowed to "cleanse Libya house by house".

But we can't believe that, can we! Nor the long record of human rights violations. I get it - Gaddafi is just misunderstood. All he needs is a great big hug.

[Distant Observer]

30. WAITING for a call for ELECTIONS out of the London Libya deliberations

I bet we will not hear any talk of elections until they oust the present Gov militarily.
I don't even know if the rebels believe they could win free and fair elections.