Muammar Qadhafi urged his people on Wednesday to let "freedoms blossom" but made no mention of democratic goals like political parties that the United States wants to promote in the Middle East. Qadhafi, whose oil-rich country was a pariah state until he renounced weapons of mass destruction just over a year ago, branded the United States, Britain and Italy as dictatorships and invited them to learn "genuine democracy" in Libya. Qadhafi was speaking on the 28th anniversary of the establishment of the Libyan Jamahiriyah (popular republic), when Libyans were given the right to air their views at "people's congresses" in what Qadhafi defends as grass-roots democracy. "You have to let freedoms blossom. People must have the full freedom to chose useful and fruitful work, the full freedom to learn and carry out scientific search and the freedom of faith," said Gaddafi, who came to power in a 1969 military coup, in a speech broadcast live on Libyan television.
Qadhafi, whose North African country was freed from US and European sanctions when he forsook banned weapons in late 2003 with the prospect of huge foreign investment, underlined the need for speeding up economic reforms. "Everyone has the full economic freedom of what to do and where to invest. Every one has the freedom to establish social and economic enterprises of his liking and interest," said Qadhafi, shunning mention of Western-style democracy.
Qadhafi has outlined his political thinking in his Green Book, which opposes both communism and Western liberal democracy. It brands the setting up of political parties as "treason" and electing a parliament "charlatanism." "Libya is living an investment boom from local and foreign investors. We have to change to sustain this boom and win the respect and trust of our partners," he told government officials and other supporters in his hometown of Sirte. "If we fail to be good at upholding the law and good governance rules and if cheat or lie, these investors whether they are locals or foreigners would leave and invest elsewhere. "The people power and the direct democracy in Libya came to give an alternative to the worsening political crisis in the world where everywhere outside Libya dictatorship rules," he declared. Qadhafi said the people of the United States, Britain and Italy were living "under the yoke of dictatorships" and invited their politicians, scholars and intellectuals to visit Libya to learn how "the only genuine democracy works."