Report: Jumblat Launches Initiative to Avoid Policy Statement Deadlock
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has launched an initiative to help the rival parties overcome their differences on the new cabinet's policy statement, As Safir daily reported on Tuesday.
Jumblat, who is a centrist, is planning to advise both the March 8 and March 14 alliances to avoid wordings that include the “defense strategy,” the “people-army-resistance” formula or the “Baabda Declaration,” the newspaper said.
The PSP chief wants to limit the policy statement to the new government's short mission to prepare for the presidential elections given that President Michel Suleiman's term ends in May and that all parties agree to avoid a vacuum in the top post.
“We overcame the most difficult” stage, “meaning the formation of the cabinet, and we don't see any need that we reach a deadlock here,” As Safir quoted officials close to Jumblat as saying.
The daily also said that Salam welcomed Jumblat's proposal after talks with his envoy Minister Wael Abou Faour.
The ministerial committee tasked with drafting the policy statement was formed on Tuesday during the first meeting of the new cabinet.
The committee, which will meet on Wednesday, has one month to complete its work and transfer the statement to parliament which has the task of giving its vote of confidence to the government.
Several March 14 alliance officials have called for a statement that is based on the Baabda Declaration. But Hizbullah has remained silent, leaving the discussions to the committee, As Safir said.
Hizbullah and Speaker Nabih Berri, who is the head of the Amal movement allied with it, have in the past stressed that the statement should be based on the “army-people-resistance” formula as with previous governments.
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