The Libyan General People's Congress passed a tentative resolution Tuesday approving the surrender of the two Libyans wanted for their alleged role in bombing Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, the Egyptian daily Al Akhbar reported.
According to an early Wednesday edition of the newspaper, the Libyan parliament's resolution must be endorsed by the so-called basic people's conferences, the equivalent of local councils, before it could be enforced.Al Akhbar said the resolution calls for "turning over a new leaf" with the United States and the West, saying the two suspects could be handed over to a "neutral" country to stand trial.
Libyan radio quoted a senior Libyan judge as saying that a voluntary surrender by the two Libyans was not against the country's laws.
He said, however, the decision could only be taken by the two men, Abdel Basset Ali Al Maghrawi and Lamen Khalifa Fhima, and not by the Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gadhafi or the congress.
France has accused Libya of being involved in the midair blast and is demanding the extradition of four Libyan nationals wanted for questioning over the incident.