PSP Chief Sticks to Dialogue to Avoid Vacuum

Progressive Socialist Party chief lawmaker Walid Jumblat has reiterated that dialogue is necessary to find solutions to the country's growing crises.

“Dialogue remains necessary and required despite the rightful and wrong doubts of civil society,” Jumblat told An Nahar newspaper in remarks published on Thursday.

“We cannot head towards vacuum,” he said.

Jumblat praised Speaker Nabih Berri for being the first to call for national dialogue in 2006.

Asked about disputes that erupted between several officials at the dialogue chaired by Berri on Wednesday, the PSP chief downplayed the tension.

He hoped that the talks would deal in details with the crises that have engulfed the country, including the waste crisis.

All the parties should abide by the government's decision on the garbage management plan, he said.

Jumblat denied that he had not talked at the national dialogue session. “I expressed my viewpoint but I am committed to (a decision) not to leak information on what happened during the session.”

He also confirmed that he will attend the next session that is scheduled to be held on Wednesday.

Thousands of Lebanese demonstrators braved a sandstorm to take to the streets of downtown Beirut on Wednesday and rally against government dysfunction, as politicians met for the first round of talks aimed at averting a political crisis that stemmed from a trash crisis that has engulfed the country.

Hours later, the government approved in a marathon session a plan to remove trash from the streets, open new landfills and allow municipalities to manage the portfolio previously handled by the government.

Details of implementation are still unclear, but the plan meets some of the protesters demands, such as passing the trash handling to the municipalities level.

G.K.

D.A.