BENGHAZI, Libya - Libyan rebels, backed forcefully by European leaders, rejected a cease-fire proposal by African mediators because it did not insist that Muammar Gadhafi relinquish power.

Monday's rejection, a day after an announcement that the Libyan leader had accepted the truce, came as a doctor in rebel-held Misrata said government's forces battered that western city and its Mediterranean port with artillery fire that killed six people.

"He is the biggest lie in the history of Libya," said Jilal Tajouri, 42, who joined more than 1,000 flag-waving protesters in the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi as the African Union delegation arrived.

"All the people in Libya agree on this: Gadhafi and all his sons must leave Libya so we can have democracy," Tajouri said, echoing the opposition of other demonstrators to any dealmaking while Gadhafi remains in power.

The rebels' leadership council agreed. "Colonel Gadhafi and his sons must leave immediately if he wants to save himself. If not, the people are coming for him," said Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, a former justice minister who split with Gadhafi and heads the Benghazi-based Transitional National Council.

Abdul-Jalil said the African Union (AU) proposal "did not respond to the aspirations of the Libyan people" and involved only political reforms. "The initiative that was presented today, its time has passed," he said. "We will not negotiate on the blood of our martyrs. We will die with them or be victorious."

Referring to the road map initiated by the AU calling for a cease-fire between the rebels and forces loyal to Gadhafi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Tuesday that China has noted the AU's proposal and appreciated its mediation in the crisis in Libya.

China hopes relevant parties could cease fire as soon as possible and solve the issue through dialogue, negotiation and other peaceful means, Hong said, calling for more efforts from the international community to promote peace in the country.

Gadhafi's son Saif al-Islam said on Monday they were ready to talk but rumors of his father stepping down were "ridiculous".

It is time to inject "new blood" into the country's leadership as Gadhafi is too old to control everything, but "the talk of (Gadhafi) leaving power, that's truly ridiculous", he said.

AP-Xinhua-China Daily

(China Daily 04/13/2011 page12)