Jumblat Pessimistic on New Cabinet, Hopes for International Miracle in Refugee Crisis

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said his contribution to form a new government went in vain and stressed that Lebanon needed a “miracle” for the international community to shoulder the costs of the Syrian war's spillover.

“We tried everything we could. We were (condemned to) hard labor and made in vain many proposals to form the government,” Jumblat told As Safir daily in remarks published on Wednesday.

He said he was waiting for certain parties that are rejecting the participation of other sides in the cabinet to become aware that no one can be abolished.

Jumblat was most likely making a reference to the March 14 alliance that had rejected giving Hizbullah cabinet seats over its participation in Syria's war despite latest reports that the veto against it had been removed.

Asked about Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's latest stance on the cabinet, the PSP chief said: “I agree with him on the need to become flexible and (adopt) dialogue.”

The government should be formed “without crippling conditions because the country's economic, financial and social situation … cannot await a delay in the line up,” he said.

Jumblat, who is the head of the centrist National Struggle Front parliamentary bloc, told As Safir that he was waiting for Suleiman's return from New York to decide whether he wanted to meet with him on the cabinet crisis.

The lawmaker expressed doubt that the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Wednesday would find solutions to the impact of Syria's refugees on Lebanon.

“We've heard that (certain) countries will not take practical steps to provide financial support to Lebanon,” he said. “Political and moral support alone are not enough.”

Some countries that could have provided aid have been left out of the conference, Jumblat revealed.

“We now need a miracle for the International Support Group to come up with serious resolutions that benefit Lebanon and the refugees,” he told As Safir.