Jumblat urges new president and 'foreign assistance'

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has expressed his concern over the possible impact of the regional developments on Lebanon, calling for “consensus and dialogue among the Lebanese to exit the crisis of the presidential vacuum.”

“A domestic settlement among the Lebanese parties is what’s essential,” Jumblat, who visited Doha this week, told Qatar’s al-Sharq newspaper.

“Some in Lebanon must come out of the cocoon they have trapped themselves in, as if history has stopped for them, knowing that things are rapidly developing and the threats surrounding Lebanon are very big, that’s why I have always called for an internal settlement,” Jumblat added.

He however noted that “foreign assistance” is needed to help the Lebanese overcome their political crisis.

Asked whether he believes that there will be an imminent presidential vote, Jumblat said: “I don’t foresee this date and I think that the war will be lengthy and will at least last until the U.S. elections and maybe beyond.”

He accordingly called on the Lebanese parties to “agree that the war will be long” and to resort to a “periodic solution” by electing a new president.