CHAIRMAN AL-QADHDHAFI PROCLAIMS PEOPLE'S POWER FOR LIBYA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05-01559R000400370131-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 131
• Publication Date: December 30, 1976
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/03: CIA-RDP05-01559R000400370131-0
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V. 30 Dec 76 I 2 NORTH AFRICA
LIBYA
J"
CHAIRMAN AL-QADHDHAFI PROCLAIMS PEOPLE'S POWER FOR LIBYA
Tripoli ARNA in English 0926 GMT 30 Dec 76 LD
[Text] Tripoli, LAR, December 30, ARNA--Col Mu'ammar al-Qadhdhafi made a very important
and historical televised speech last night on the forthcoming discussion by the Libyan
people of the draft declaration of the establishment of the people's authority, which
will go down in history as the greatest and most serious experiment by humanity in its
long search for the establishment of direct and sound democracy.
Col al-Qadhdhafi called on all Libyans, male and female, to give this extremely serious
matter their fullest attention and participation and announced that the people's con-
gresses are to begin debating the draft declaration as of January 1st, 1977, so that it
may be. given the final draft at the extraordinary session of the People's General Con-
ference to be held at the forthcoming birthday of the Prophet Muhammad on or about
March 3rd, 1977.
In order that all Libyans will have a chance to fully participate in the discussion of
the draft declaration, he envisaged that the people's congresses will continue in
session until the end of next February, with each people's congress meeting in districts,
suburbs, thousands or hundreds as deemed suitable, to allow for a thorough and full
participation by every Libyan citizen, since what is at stake is too serious to be
discussed by everybody in a couple of days.
Col al-Qadhdhafi asserted that discussions will he absolutely open and free with no
restrictions of any kind on the will of the Libyan men and women to establish their
authority.
Rcvicwing the main points of the draft declaration of the establishment of the people's
authority, Col al-Qadhdhafi first touched-on the preamble which will also include the
now name of the republic. He said the preamble, which constitutes'an integral part of
the declaration and of our heritage, will be debated by the people's congresses which
can add to or delete from it what they see fit, since it will be a historical preface
which will announce to the world the ushering of the era of"the masses and the beginning
of the implementation of the third international theory and'the beginning of the success
of third road and the bypassing of all incomplete democratic .experiment and the end of
all totalitarian dictatorships.
Colonel al-Qedhdhafi outlined the main topics of the forthcoming, discussions by the
people's cbr_gross as follows:
1--The preamble and the new name of the republic.
2-- The society's code which has been decided by the last sessions of the people's
congress to be the Holy Koran.
3--The manner of th6 establishment of the people's authority and the direct people's
democracy.
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V. 30 Dec 76 N O R T H A F R I C A
ALGERIA
BOUTEFLIKA SENDS MESSAGE TO UN SECRETARY GENERAL ON SAHARA
Algiers Domestic Service in Arabic 2000 GMT 29 Dec 76'LD
[Text] Foreign Minister and. member of the Council of Revolution Bouteflika has
addressed a message to Kurt Waldheim, UN secretary general, relating to decolonization
in Western Sahara. It says: The process of decolonization in the Western Sahara,
its development and ramifications, i of concern to the OAU, the nonalined group and
United Nations. After referring to he interest and efforts of the UN secretary
general to attempt to attain a solut on consistent with the pr nciples and charters
of the. United Nations and OAU, Boutef ika's message provided he UN secretary general
with information to enable him to eva uate the latest develo meets in the problem.
Bouteflika reviewed the initiatives a
countries, regional African, Arab and
Kingdom in the quest for a permanent so
latter used its good offices with Alger
slamic organizati
ution to the We
Morocco a
motivated as it was by the noble sentimi
ties, was inconclusive because the Moroc
Bouteflika went on to say in his message
people have been (?consulted) in a democ
an and ma
that Iwo
tic ma
not [words indistinct] to restore relatio
before. [passage indistinct] Algeria pu4l
shun the possibility of resorting to fore
of self-defense in accordance with regions
members of the international community.
of sister and friendly
s, and,'lastly, by the Saudi
tern Sahara problem. The
Mauritania, but this initiative,
blood, culture and spiritual
itanian theories [words indistinct].
s indistinct] as soon as the Saharan
er [words indistinct], Algeria will
its neighbors to the state they were
affirmed that on principle it would
bept in the exercise of the natural right
and UN charters--a right recognized for all
Bouteflika added in his message [words ilndi~tinct]. Accordingly. a solution to the
proniem depends on the return of the S5harah inhabitants. who were driven out of thpii
rreedom their right to self-determin`ation in accordance.with the recommendations of
the United Nations, OAU-and the nopalined me ement and the opinion of the International
Court of Justice. [passage indistinct)
Bouteflika added that while Al9ria's attitud rested on respect for the principle.of
self-determination as a peaceful means to a t
e solution of decolonization, unfortunat
Morocco and ! uritania appea to believe only
n the means of forcible annexation.
Such an approach cannot se a to confer legali
y on a fait accompli. Algeria is once
again anxious to reassert hat it entertains n
territorial claims or economic ambition
In this, as in other casg , it believes that it is
up to the inhabitants of any region
to determine their future and not to have it de
ermined for them
ely
s.
.
Bouteflika said that after all the attempts to u
ful, we cannot fail ,to observe that the Western
and that no encouraging sign has appeared of a p
e good offices, for which we are grate-
ahara problem is still outstanding
ssibility of a settlement. Algeria,
however, will continue to be well disposed toward
conditions for a/just and lasting solution to the
consider this problem acquires particular importance, as confirmed by both the fifth
summit conference of the nonalined states and the 31st session of the UN General
any initiative aiming at creating
problem. He continued: Algeria.
ding an emergency summit meeting to
Bouteflika concluded his message by saying: The esteemed efforts by Your Excellency on
this question strengthen our belief that you will continue your attempts unrelentingly
to bring about the acknowledgment of the rights of peoples and the noble ideals of our
organization.
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. 30 Dec 76 I 3
Colonel al-Qadhdhafi emphasised that the new name of the republic should reflect the new
reality and said that "after the revolution we did not use such names as arbitrarily
adopted in the East or West but merely announced the Libyan Arab Republic because the
country became a republic after toppling the monarchy and it is an Arab and a Libyan
country, but now there are new applications to be taken into consideration in determining
the new name of the republic, which, if the people's authority is established, becomes
a real people.'s republic. If a socialist doctrine is established, then it is a socialist
republic;'thus the name has a great significance and must reflect the reality."
"If the society's' code is to be the Holy Koran as decided previously," Colonel al-Qadhdhafi
went on, "then"the consequences must be discussed, for then there will be no more a con-
stitutional declaration nor a man-made constitution, but there will be only laws based
on the Koran."
Elaborating on the subject of the establishment of people's authority, Colonel al-Qadhdhafi
explained that the masses will study the manner of the establishment of this authority,
its pillars and how-wiil the people practise it. He added that when the people exercise
the authority'throug1i the people's congresses, people's committees, trade unions and
ultimately, in the People's General Congress, there will be no Revolution Command Council
nor Mu'ammar al-Qadhdhafi, since the presence of a president, council, party, sect or
a family is in direct contradiction with the people's authority, which means the end
of governments', rulers and presidents.
Colonel al-Qadhdhafi added, "This does not mean anarchy since the people's authority,
which is the new factor in the experiment, is based on the people's congresses and people's
committees as well as trade unions and the people's General Congress."
Colonel al-Qadhdhafi declared that the institution of the caliph was suggested and ex-
plained that a caliph could be a dictator, and if he were an ideal ruler, who can guarantee
his successor? And thus the problem of democracy remains unsolved, but on the other hand
the establishment of the people's authority leaves no room to anyone to seize power and
it puts a final and historical end to such a possibility.
Colonel al-Qadhdhafi asserted that the chairman of the People's Congress will not be the
head of the state nor the people's president, for the people will be the rulers while
the chairman of the congress will be appointed by the People's General Congress to pre-
side over its sessions and direct its Secretariat and sign the laws by order of the
congress after the people's congresses have decided on these laws in the form of resolu-
tions and recommendations to be submitted to the People's General Congress for final
drafting which will constitute the essence of the laws and which the Secretariat will
promulgate as laws and resolution, and thus the duty of the congress chairman becomes
purely administrative and concerns the congress itself, while the people are the rulers
of the country.
He said that the congress will select the Secretariat, which will replace the Council
of Ministers, and the secretary general, who will replace the prime minister, and so
there will be no government other than the people's authority replacing the government
and all its institutions.
The revolution leader said that the duties of this Secretariat will constitute the
running, under the charge of the congress, of the various sectors handled by the minis-
ters at present, such as the secretariat of defence and interior, instead of the Ministry
of Defence and the Ministry of the Interior, respectively, for example.
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V. 30 Dec 76 Iii
Colonel al-Qadhdhafi said the secretariats of the congress will be accountable to the
people after the establishment of internal and external policies in all their forms by
the people's basic congresses, which will determine the success and failure of every
sector.
Upon such analysis and debates in the people's congresses and, in effect, by.the entire
people, the recommendations of the people's congresses will be passed to the People's
General Congress, upon which it will decide any change or alteration in the composition
of the secretariat and examine the accountability of the secretary and/or his discharge.
The revolution leader spoke of the people's ownership of authority, wealth and arms which
will achieve the new socialism and which will not be the ownership of a class, government,
sect, or a party. He also discussed the defence of the country and further explained
the general military training to replace voluntary military service, since the few should
not be responsible to defend the whole and to replace the compulsory conscription, which
is for slaves and not for a people who have achieved the establishment of their absolute
authority.
Concerning the budget, Colonel al-Qadhdhafi said the people's congresses will discuss
the budget and forward the outcome to the People's General Congress, which will, in turn,
entrust the Secretariat to put it into a legal form and legal articles to be signed by
the congress chairman and-thus having a budget initiated and established by the people.
Referring 'to the last People's General Congress' adherence to Colonel al-Qadhdhafi and
RCC members, he said these are presenton atemporary basis and will not remain in poli-
tics forever and, as mortals, they surely will disappear in a certain period of
which cannot be compared with the age of the people or humanity.
If the RCC remained there will be no meaning or necessity for the people's congresses,
people's committees, trade unions nor the People's General Congress, whereby the RCC
will have absolute legislative and executive powers which is a contradiction to the
establishment of the people's authority, which in turn is incompatible with the existence
of a council, president, party, class, family, association, sect, tribe or a parliament,
all these representing forms of the prevailing dictatorships which the Libyan people de-
cided to rid themselves of. But, individually, members of the RCC are still Libyan citi-
zens and they are under the disposal of the Libyan people, who are free to place them in
any position of Secretariat and benefit from their services.
Colonel al-Qadhdhafi concluded by reiterating once more that all Libyan men and women
must fully participate in deciding their destiny and to be signatories to this historic
declaration and said that the establishment of the people's authority means the estab-
lishment of a society free from the political maladies with nothing subject to conflict.
The conflict and struggle over power that exists in other societies stems from the fact
that only a part of the society is in power which automatically creates other opposing
parts of that society strive, conspire and struggle to seize power and keep it, Such
conflict will continue as long as the power remains the monopoly of a party, individual,
council, sect or a tribe.
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