Dr. Douglas, who is also the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, expressing concerns over the conflict in Libya, said, “We had used occasions to express our concerns, as the Heads of Government, when we met in Grenada, as a Community, and again in July in St Kitts and Nevis. We basically said that we wanted the conflict to come to an end.”
He also said, “CARICOM would like to reiterate that position as the forces in opposition assemble in Tripoli. We also want the leader of the Libyan government to recognize that the end is apparently very near and in order to prevent further loss of lives, that there is now need for him to relinquish (power) and … even discuss how this conflict can come to an end without further bloodshed.”
Calling on the Chairman of the National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul Jallil to respect the human rights of Libyans, Dr. Douglas further stated, “We believed that this is no time for revenge, this is time for all forces, all peoples, and all tribes to come together and see if the country could settle down as quickly as possible with a government that represents all of the people of Libya.”
“We have seen in countries where democracy has been absent, where people have been yearning for full freedom of expression from the government …and eventually this has led to bloodshed as we have seen over the last six months in various Arab countries.” Chairman Dr Douglas said.
“We believed that democracy must be pursued vigorously and must be sustained by whatever it takes at all times,” Dr Douglas said.