Jumblat: Talks with Suleiman, Miqati Addressed Ways to End Crisis Given Halt of Dialogue

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stated that the meeting he held on Friday with President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati was an opportunity to assess the local and Arab situations, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.

He told the daily: “Talks focused on finding ways to end the political crisis in Lebanon given the halt of the national dialogue.”

Asked if specific measures had been devised to resume the all-party talks, the MP replied: “We addressed all issues that may lead to ending the deadlock.”

A presidential palace statement on Friday revealed that Suleiman had informed the national dialogue participants of the postponement of Monday's session without setting a new date.

The decision came following a meeting the president held on Friday night with Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Jumblat.

Meanwhile, Suleiman's visitors on Saturday informed al-Hayat that the president “failed in convincing the members of the March 14 opposition of returning to the national dialogue.”

“The issue is out of his hands seeing as it is difficult to persuade all political factions to resume communication between each other,” they added.

“The president will not hold one-sided dialogue,” they explained.

The opposition announced its boycott of the national dialogue and called for the resignation of Miqati's government following the October 19 assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau chief Wissam al-Hasan after it blamed the cabinet for the murder.

The visitors told An Nahar in remarks published on Sunday that Suleiman will continue his contacts with various powers in order to maintain dialogue between them “should these talks not be held at the dialogue table.”

“He will not end these efforts because he believes that dialogue is a necessity and its halt threatens the whole of Lebanon,” they stressed.

The president will not schedule a new dialogue session until after he holds contacts with all concerned sides during the upcoming two weeks.

“Their receptiveness to these efforts will determine his future move,” explained the visitors.