Jumblat Says Unconditional Dialogue is Absolute Necessity
Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat said Saturday that dialogue was an absolute necessity after President Michel Suleiman failed once again to bring the rival March 8 and 14 camps together.
“Dialogue comes first and is required at this dangerous stage,” he said in remarks to As Safir daily, stressing that his calls for continued cooperation among Lebanon's bickering camps haven't changed.
“Maybe others have changed but they should know that there is no way out of sitting together at the dialogue table,” the PSP chief told the newspaper about the March 14 opposition alliance.
Jumblat rejected preconditions and said the Lebanese should not wait for the developments in Syria to settle scores in Lebanon.
In a direct criticism of the opposition al-Mustaqbal movement, the Druze leader expressed his surprise at its willingness to take part in the meetings of a parliamentary electoral subcommittee while rejecting to attend the all-party talks at Baabda palace.
The March 14 alliance announced its boycott of the national dialogue and government-related activity in the aftermath of the Oct. 19 assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau chief Wissam al-Hasan.
It said it will end its boycott only after the formation of a new government. It also set a new condition last month, saying it would attend the national dialogue if Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah declared that he was ready to discuss placing the party’s arsenal under the authority of the Lebanese state.
Although the opposition was adamant not to deal with the government, it announced its willingness to take part in the meetings of the parliamentary subcommittee set to discuss electoral districts and the type of system in the elections.
Jumblat reiterated that “it was wrong to remain in a wait-and-see situation because Syria is heading towards an abyss. So it is illogical to boycott constitutional institutions.”
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