On August 20, Seif al-Islam Muammar Qaddafi, son of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and president of the Qaddafi Institution for Development, said Libya has "no constitution, no press, and no democracy," while announcing in the city of Surt, east of Tripoli, a program to advance the country to levels achieved by other oil states. "In all frankness and transparency, there is no freedom of the press in Libya; actually there is no press, even, and there is no real 'direct people's democracy' on the ground," the younger Qaddafi said. "That is something all Libyans say, from simple individuals to officials. And the people are all in agreement that there is no democracy in Libya."

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