Labour leader Joseph Muscat has called for an immediate ceasefire in Libya “to facilitate the necessary changes”, adding that the behaviour of the Gaddafi regime is “unacceptable by any standards”.
However, when contacted by The Sunday Times Dr Muscat did not go as far as to explicitly say that Muammar Gaddafi should step down or that he had lost his legitimacy to govern.
An editorial on the Labour Party’s news site Maltastar.com on Friday criticised Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s heightening condemnation of the Gaddafi regime, saying: “There was a U-turn on foreign policy with Gonzi rushing to say Gaddafi was finished, without having the foresight to consider the implications.”
However, when asked whether he stood by this assessment, Dr Muscat said he would refrain from politicising this issue “since it is an extremely sensitive one for geo-political reasons”.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Dr Muscat said the future of Libya was “solely in the hands of the Libyan people to decide.
“Whatever statements are made by international organisations or other countries, the reality is that the situation will be resolved by the Libyans themselves.
“My appeal is for an immediate ceasefire, which would facilitate the necessary changes in Libya.”
Asked if Malta should take part in military intervention if this is sanctioned by the United Nations, Dr Muscat said that such a move by the UN was “highly improbable” at this stage.
“The Labour Party believes that in any circumstance Malta should act in such a way as to respect its national interest, the Constitution and its international obligations.
“We firmly believe that Malta’s commitment should be that of being a broker of peace and certainly not a military base.”
Regarding the possibility of Malta being used as a mediator in the crisis, he said mediation necessitated all parties to agree upon the mediator.
“Unless there are these prerequisites, any mediation attempts by Malta would prove futile.”
Throughout the Libyan crisis, Dr Muscat has been economical with his words.
He supported the government’s humanitarian efforts in a rare moment of unity between the two parties. He also thanked the government for “consulting” him.
Last Sunday, he said the EU’s Mediterranean policy had failed because it did not pre-empt this wave of revolution in the region. However, he added that it was not his role to be a commentator to the crisis.