Libyan opposition leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil told Xinhua on Sunday in an interview the departure of Muammar Gaddafi is the only way out of Libya's crisis and the opposition would not hold any talks with the embattled strongman.
"The only condition for holding talks of resolving the crisis is that Gaddafi, his inner circle and his family have no future in the political arena of Libya and they must leave," said Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council (NTC) based in Benghazi. "We only welcome the proposition regarding the ceasefire and peace settlement based on this condition."
Jalil's remarks came one day before the expected visit by South African President Jacob Zuma to the Libyan capital Tripoli on Monday. It was yet to know whether Gaddafi's departure would be discussed.
Facing frequent and increasingly heavy air strikes by NATO forces and tightening diplomatic pressure, the Gaddafi government is turning to the African Union (AU) which has always been calling for an outright end to NATO strikes. Previously, the Benghazi opposition rejected the first AU peace plan led by Zuma in April as it did not address the rebels' main demand that Gaddafi must quit.
The NTC, formed 100 days ago, is seeing political, military and diplomatic progress with intensified NATO air strikes against Gaddafi forces and an increasing number of countries mulling offering political support and financial aids.
As the unrest in the north African country sees no quick end, the opposition is working on two priorities: seeking weaponry to break the military stalemate and winning wider endorsement in the international arena.
"We have been promised a visit (to Benghazi) by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron," Jalil said, but he said the details and date of the visit have not been determined yet.
To date, the NTC has already been recognized by France, Italy, Qatar, Gambia and Maldives. A "road map" is being drawn for bilateral relations between Turkey and the administration of the NTC during a visit of Jalil to the Turkish capital Ankara last week.
Following Russia's dramatic shift from criticizing Western intervention to offering to mediate, the confused Libyan government was in contact with the Russian side to make its position clear, while the opposition was upbeat with the change and trying to win over more world powers to gain supports and recognition.
During the two-day Group of Eight (G8) summit, leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States made a unanimously-adopted declaration saying that "Gaddafi and the Libyan government have failed to fulfill their responsibility to protect the Libyan population and have lost all legitimacy."
Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said Friday that the government was not concerned about the events at the G8 meeting and it only supported the proposals of the AU.
Meanwhile, Jalil and his group applauded the G8 call. "I would pay tribute to the position taken ... by the G8 where members emphasized the necessity of Gaddafi's departure," Jalil said.
With the war between Gaddafi's troops and NATO-backed rebel forces persisting for months, both sides are trying to break a stalemate in the Libya's western mountains and the city of Misrata.
Bombing and shelling of Gaddafi forces have been reported in these areas on Saturday and Sunday. The rebel fired back. The exact casualties of the fighters and the civilians are not available yet.
Asked whether the NTC, which stood firmly against NATO ground operations, accepts the plans of Britain and France to use attack helicopters in Libya's battlefield, Jalil said the helicopter is just one tool against the Gaddafi forces.
The advantage of the helicopter is they can carry out strikes at much closer quarters and reduce the potential for collateral damage.
The coalition has the right to decide any equipment to use in the framework of the UN resolution 1973 to protect the civilian population, Jalil said.