Libyan Royal Mohammed El Senussi Calls For 'Tighter Squeeze' on Gaddafi

BRUSSELS, April 20, 2011 - Libya's exiled crown prince Mohammed El Senussi today (Wed 20 April) told
the European Parliament that the departure of ruler Colonel Muammar Gaddafi
"could be expedited if more nations stepped down off the fence and committed
themselves to rid the world of one of its most evil tyrants."

Speaking in Brussels at a meeting of the European Conservatives and
Reformists Group Prince Mohammed added that "there will never be a political
solution in Libya to the crimes against humanity that Gaddafi and his thugs
are committing.

"He needs to be squeezed even tighter by economic sanctions and military
action. Provided that we stay within the parameters of the UN Security
Council Resolution, the power and armoury of NATO and other nations should be
sufficient to more rapidly put an end to the suffering and atrocities and to
give the Libyan people the freedom they crave and pray for.

"But for this we need more western nations and Arab countries to join the
cause of protecting those in need of help, so they can be free from the
hellish terror they have to endure through no fault of their own.

Prince Mohammed, who was banished overseas in 1988 by Colonel Gaddafi and
has been unable to return to his homeland, dismissed any possibility of a
political solution "while a murderous ruler remains in the country."

He added that the freedom fighters in Libya will be victorious and the
uprising will continue until Colonel Gaddafi, his family and his regime have
fallen.

"Make no mistake," he said, "this is six million Libyans versus one man
whose strategy, if I can call it that, is to kill innocent civilians in an
indiscriminate and barbaric manner in order to subjugate, oppress and
maintain his undemocratic rule."

Prince Mohammed praised French President Nicholas Sarkozy and British
Prime Minister David Cameron for what he described as "fast tracking" the
United Nations resolution to protect Libyan civilians. He also thanked the
British and French governments for sending military officers to advise the
freedom fighters in Benghazi.

The exiled crown prince dismissed arguments put forward by Colonel
Gaddafi that Libya will lurch into social and political chaos if the ruler is
not in power or part of the country's future.

Prince Mohammed said he supported the role currently being undertaken by
the Benghazi-based Interim Council and "when Gaddafi falls the existing body
will make way for a new council made up of representatives from all over
Libya so they can have a referendum to choose the form of government they
desire."

He told the audience that a constitution written in 1951 with input from
the United Nations could be updated to form the basis of a new Libya. It
contained, he said, sufficient details - such as universal adult suffrage,
political rights, human rights, freedom of religious practice and press
freedom - to provide the foundation for a new constitution.

"Whatever the people for Libya choose in the future, the 1951
constitution includes the building blocks of a democratic society," he said.

Prince Mohammed concluded his speech by saying, "The people will decide
which form of democracy they want - a constitutional monarchy or a republic.
I will do everything I can to assist in creating a democratic state for
Libyans based on a representative parliament chosen by free and fair
elections.

"As a Libyan and a member of the Senussi family, it is my task to serve
the people and I will do so as best I can."

Contact: mohammedelsenussi at mohammedelsenussi.org / +44(0)20-7861-8598