PARIS: Moamer Qadhafi's son Seif al-Islam admitted Monday that it was time for "new blood" in his country's leadership but said talk of his father stepping down was "ridiculous".
"The Libyan Guide does not want to control everything. He is at an advanced age. We would like to bring and new elite of young people onto the scene to lead the country and direct local affairs," Seif told French network BFM.
"We need new blood that is what we want for the future but talk of the Guide leaving is truly ridiculous," he added.
Seif who has been touted as a possible successor to his 68-year-old father as Libyan leader or "guide" was speaking to the channel in an interview conducted in Arabic at the weekend before his father met African Union mediators.
"They're talking about us being exiled to the Caribbean!" he laughed, dismissing calls from the international community and the rebels that have seized eastern Libya for his father to step down.
"Everything has changed. The people have changed. We are talking about a new Libya," he said, implicitly suggesting that he remains ready to play a role as a reformer in a post-conflict Libya.
"The future Libya will be completely different from the Libya that you have known up until now, with the guide, with Seif, with the people, with the East, with the West, with the South we are all one united family," he said.
Seif also alleged Qatar had masterminded a scheme to foment rebellion and get its hands on Libyan oil exports, dragging France and Britain in its wake and tricking the United Nations into supporting NATO action against the regime.
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