Gaddafi is ready to step down, claims French government

Envoys from Libya's Muammar Gaddafi have been in contact with Nato members to say he is ready to leave power, according to the French government, the latest sign of a possible negotiated end to the crisis.

"A political solution is beginning to take shape," French prime minister Francois Fillon told a parliamentary commission, which is due to vote on whether to extend the country's military operations in Libya.

Nato powers have until now been focused firmly on air strikes and backing the rebels trying to overthrow Gaddafi, but five months into the insurrection and with no sign of a breakthrough, attention is switching to a political solution.

Earlier, French foreign minister Alain Juppe said emissaries from Gaddafi's government had been in contact with several Nato members, though there had been no proper negotiations.

"Emissaries are telling us Gaddafi is ready to go, let's talk about it," Mr Juppe said. "The question is no longer about whether Gaddafi goes but when and how.

"Everybody is in contact with everybody. The Libyan regime is sending messengers everywhere, to Turkey, New York, Paris. There are contacts, but it's not a negotiation proper at this stage."

How reliable the information from the emissaries is remains unclear. Many observers have warned of the need to be cautious about taking everything emanating from the Libyan government at face value because previous peace offers have come to nothing.

Sources say the envoys are close aides to Gaddafi who are in contact with intermediaries who report directly to French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

It was not obvious how Gaddafi, who has refused to even contemplate relinquishing power, could be persuaded to change his mind through negotiations.

Some analysts say Gaddafi will only step down if he is left with no other options, but appeals for negotiations could be seen in Tripoli as a sign the West's resolve is weakening, and encourage Gaddafi to hold for on longer.

Karim Bitar, a Middle East expert at Paris-based think tank IRIS, said negotiations between the rebels and the Gaddafi camp were likely to be extremely complicated.

"It's not a country where power is easily shared. There are six million people, a few powerful tribes and oil reserves almost all in just one area, so it won't be easy to find a sort of an agreement where Gaddafi is on the sidelines and cedes power."In an interview with French daily Le Figaro yesterday, the Libyan prime minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi said Tripoli was ready to "negotiate without conditions" but the bombing must stop first. "You don't create democracy under bombs," he said.

Asked if Gaddafi could be excluded from a political solution, Mr Mahmoudi suggested he could stand aside. "(He] will not intervene in discussions," he said. "He is ready to respect the decision of the people."

A senior official with Libya's rebel council said he believed Gaddafi would be gone by the start of next month.

Mr Sarkozy took a gamble by taking a personal role in supporting the opposition rebels, but he is now anxious to avoid costly military operations running into the start of campaigning for the April 2012 presidential election.