Statement by Nycole Turmel on death of Muammar Gaddafi

The future of Libya now belongs to all Libyans.

The announcement of the death of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi may mean the end of a long oppressive regime and decades of brutal fighting for democracy.

The members of his regime will have to answer for their crimes during what we hope will be fair, transparent trials that respect the principles of legal and human rights.

Our troops have done a wonderful job in Libya over the past few months. I want to salute the efforts and courage of our troops.

The time has come for Canada to withdraw our military operations. We now need to focus on diplomacy and on rebuilding the country. We need to help Libyans build solid democratic institutions. We would like the Canadian government to show leadership on that front.

New Democrats are proud to have supported Libyans in their quest for democracy and will continue to work with the Libyan people to establish a democratic society.