Gaddafi slams Libyan cabinet
2008-03-02 19:40
Sirte - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi urged a sweeping reform of government on Sunday, saying most of the cabinet system should be dismantled as it had failed to manage the north Africa's country's windfall oil earnings.
Gaddafi told the General People's Congress (parliament) that big projects were behind schedule and so ordinary people should themselves devise a new way of sharing out oil revenues.
"All citizens have the right to benefit from the oil funds. They should take the money and do whatever they want with it," he said in a speech in his home town of Sirte.
His call for the dismantling of most cabinet committees, key cogs in Libya's unique Jamahiriyah or "state of the masses" system, is expected to be debated by parliament in coming days.
Many of the six million population say they are still waiting to benefit from soaring oil revenues and rising foreign investment following Tripoli's 2003 abandonment of prohibited weapons programmes and subsequent return to the mainstream of international politics.
Gaddafi has repeatedly urged the cabinet, known as the General People's Committee, to increase Libyans' average incomes to European levels, citing the Opec-member country's riches.
"We have been spending $37bn annually in recent years. The general people's committees have failed to manage this money. These committees must not continue to exist," he said, referring to cabinet committees.
He said the exceptions would be cabinet committees on defence, security and foreign affairs, which would be retained.
"Projects in several sectors are pending. This is a proof that the committees have failed. It's a failure. The administration has failed. The committees have failed in everything. They could not even train good artists and singers."
"These committees will be replaced spontaneously by real committees to be created everywhere by citizens. Citizens will get part of the oil revenue directly. They don't need intermediaries," he said.
Gaddafi's suggestions echo the spirit of the Jamahiriyah popular rule he proclaimed in 1977 in a bid to create the perfect society in line with the teachings of his Green Book, which combines aspects of socialism, Islam and pan-Arabism.