PSP Delegation Meets Miqati as Berri 'Positively' Recieves Jumblat's Initiative

A delegation from MP Walid Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party held talks on Sunday with Prime Minister Najib Miqati as part of the lawmaker's ongoing efforts to reach an initiative to end Lebanon's current political crisis.

During the talks, Miqati "voiced support for the dialogue initiative that will be announced by PSP leader Walid Jumblat and the ideas it will include," said a statement issued by the PM's office.

"We support this initiative and call on all parties to respond to it and heed the efforts that are being exerted to exit the current situations," Miqati added.

"We also consider that no matter how much the viewpoints of the Lebanese might differ, there is no alternative to dialogue which alone can lead to finding common denominators for a solution and to immunizing our country amid these difficult circumstances in the region," he went on to say.

The premier also reiterated his call for everyone to heed President Michel Suleiman's dialogue initiative in order to "reach an agreement on the steps needed to put an end to the current tensions and come up with a solution that would be acceptable by everyone and would represent a roadmap for the future."

The PSP delegation --comprised of Minister Alaeddine Terro, MP Akram Shehayeb and PSP Secretary Zafer Nasser -- had met on Saturday with Speaker Nabih Berri.

An Nahar daily reported that the delegation had informed the speaker of the details of Jumblat's initiative, which he is set to announce on Monday.

Berri told the daily that he had “positively received the initiative.”

It includes the need for the return of all political powers to dialogue, ending any boycott, and halting the tense media exchanges between the rival factions.

PSP sources meanwhile told al-Hayat that Berri stressed to the delegation that “nothing is sacred in political life in Lebanon but the Bible and Koran.”

“This principle must be applied to the government,” he added.

“Governments come and go, but they should do so according to certain principles,” he stressed.

Furthermore, the speaker emphasized the need for dialogue among the rival political factions.

Al-Hayat revealed that his meeting with the PSP delegation also included discussions on the parliamentary electoral law.

Berri renewed his preference for a law based on proportional representation and the adoption of Lebanon as one electoral district.

He added however that should objections be voiced over this proposal, then he does not mind reviewing a law based on electoral districts that adheres to the Taif Accord.

A PSP delegation met with Suleiman at Baabda Palace on Tuesday.

Lebanon plunged into a political crisis on October 19 when Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch chief Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan was assassinated.

The March 14-led opposition boycotted political activity with its foes after it blamed Miqati's government for covering up the crime and said it would not sit at the same dialogue table with Hizbullah.

Jumblat is seeking to convince political foes to attend a new round of national dialogue under Suleiman as an icebreaker by launching the initiative to steer the country away from “the ghost of strife.”