An African parley in Libya fades for lack of turnout

Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's hopes of playing host to the 1982 Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit, originally scheduled to open in Tripoli Thursday, were fading for lack of a quorum, conference sources said.

A number of countries have boycotted the meeting. Conference sources said Colonel Qaddafi, due to take over the OAU chairmanship from Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi, was holding a series of private talks in Tripoli with 16 African leaders, mostly radicals. An informal meeting of the 16 might be held to decide on the next step, but the OAU constitution states that a two-thirds majority, 34 of the organization's 51 members, must be present for a formal meeting to take place.