Gaddafi's sons want him removed from power

Seif (L) and Saadi are proposing their father's removal.

At least two sons of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are proposing a transition to a constitutional democracy that would include their father's removal from power, The New York Times reported late Sunday.

Citing an unnamed diplomat and a Libyan official briefed on the plan, the newspaper said the transition would be spearheaded by one of Gaddafi's sons, Seif al-Islam el-Kadhafi. It is not clear whether Colonel Gaddafi, 68, has signed on to the reported proposal backed by his sons, Seif and Saadi el-Kadhafi, the report said. But one person close to these sons said the father appeared willing to go along, the paper noted.

The two sons "want to move toward change for the country" without their father, The Times quoted one person close to the Seif and Saadi camp as saying. "They have hit so many brick walls with the old guard, and if they have the go-ahead, they will bring the country up quickly." According to The Times, the idea may reflect longstanding differences among Gaddafi's sons. While Seif and Saadi have leaned toward Western-style economic and political openings, Colonel Gaddafi's sons Khamis and Mutuassim are considered hard-liners, the paper said. Khamis leads a pro-government militia, the report noted. And Mutuassim, a national security adviser, has been considered a rival to Seif in the competition to succeed their father.