Jumblat Voices Support to Cabinet, Says No Better Alternative in Absence of Dialogue
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat said on Thursday that Lebanese officials should resume the national dialogue and tackle all the lingering crises in Lebanon without any “exception.”
He told An Nahar newspaper that Saudi King Abdullah’s letter to President Michel Suleiman expresses his fear over the repercussions of the Syrian developments on Lebanon as the crisis in the neighboring country might spill over into Lebanon.
Jumblat voiced his support to the context of Abdullah’s letter, saying that it reveals the king’s keenness to preserve the civil peace, unity, the Taef accord and the national dialogue among Lebanese foes.
On Tuesday, Abdullah said that the kingdom is monitoring the situation in Lebanon with “deep concern,” and urged Suleiman in a cable to end the crisis through his call for national dialogue and keenness to keep Lebanon away from regional disputes, most notably the Syrian crisis.
Jumblat said in comments published in As Safir newspaper that disassociating the country from the Syrian turmoil shouldn’t affect the Syrian refugees who are fleeing the crisis in their country into Lebanon.
The tense political situation in Lebanon affected recently the security situation in the country as several areas across Lebanon witnessed security incidents.
“I support disassociating (Lebanon), but we should protect the Syrian refugees and not harass them,” Jumblat told As Safir.
On the March 14-led opposition’s continuous calls on Prime Minister Najib Miqati to resign, he told An Nahar that he disagrees with its demand.
“We have no other substitute in the meantime and we might slip into vacuum if officials didn’t find consensus among each other,” Jumblat stressed.
He pointed out that dialogue would lead to consensus over a new cabinet.
On Monday, Beirut’s MPs called on Miqati to resign because “his government is facilitating the return of civil war to Lebanon.”
However, Miqati said that he is trying to “douse the fire ignited by some al-Mustaqbal Movement MPs through their fiery, irresponsible stances.”
“It is time to include the arms in the state so that we don’t have armed mini-states,” the Druze leader said.
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