Exiles reject future role for Gaddafi family

View from London

Leaders of Libya's government-in-waiting in London have rejected any suggestion that members of Muammar Gaddafi's family could join an interim administration.

The fact that Mohammed Ismail, an envoy with close links to Colonel Gaddafi's UK-educated son Saif, had held talks in London was interpreted as evidence the dictator's family may be making overtures to the Coalition that they could stabilise Libya by maintaining a presence in power.

But the UK representative of the Libyan Interim National Council, who this week met David Cameron and Hillary Clinton in London, questioned whether Britain and the US were contemplating such an arrangement and said no-one opposed to Gaddafi would serve with his sons.

Guma El-Gamaty, who was protesting outside the Libyan embassy in London when PC Yvonne Fletcher was murdered by a gunman inside, said: "Neither Saif, nor any other member of the Gaddafi family, will ever be accepted by the Libyan people to have power over them again. There can be no question that the Gaddafis remain in power."

Mr El-Gamaty pointed out that the Benghazi-based council would refuse to share power with "anyone with blood on their hands".