U.S. to suggest Gadhafi to become honorary chairman of African Union

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon said he is set to meet with Moammar Gadhafi on April 6 in an attempt to persuade Libya's embattled ruler to step down.

Weldon will also meet with Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Khaim, the Republican from Pennsylvania said in an interview with CNN affiliate WPIX-TV.

Weldon said that in addition to Gadhafi stepping down, he is proposing a cease-fire on both sides; a withdrawal of government forces from key cities; no further advances by rebel forces; a joint interim government run by Libya's current prime minister and the an opposition leader; unfettered humanitarian access; and the establishment of a parliamentary commission that would include American, Middle Eastern, European and African politicians helping to establish a new parliament in Libya.

As for as the Gadhafi family, Weldon's proposals also suggest a possible title for Gadhafi as honorary chairman of the African Union and allowing his second-oldest son, Saif, to stand in elections.

Saif al-Islam Gadhafi was once thought of as a leading reformer in the Libyan government, but the 38-year-old has become one of his father's most outspoken defenders since the start of the unrest.

In an opinion piece written for The New York Times, Weldon said, "I've met (Moammar Gadhafi) enough times to know that it will be very hard to simply bomb him into submission." He said he was in Libya at the invitation of Gadhafi and that U.S. President Barack Obama's administration is aware of the trip.

Libya remains in a deadly stalemate as pro-Gadhafi forces battle rebel fighters demanding an end to Gadhafi's nearly 42-year-rule.

Weldon's proposal also suggests free elections within 12 months overseen by the United Nations, according to reporter Larry Mendte of WPIX-TV who traveled with Weldon to Libya.