Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat announced on Friday his "party's position alongside Syria and the Resistance in order for the political game to take its course away from sectarian divisions." "Despite the divide, we will hold on to dialogue, institutions, and the constitution," he added. Jumblat's bloc in the Parliament includes 11 seats.
He warned against straying away "from this democratic reasoning that would only increase tensions and threaten the main cause of maintaining the Resistance's achievements ."
"I have repeatedly supported the Arab initiative and considered that it represents the necessary stand for the current crisis," he went on to say.
"I tried to end the crisis with various leaderships and I headed to Damascus to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on January 14 … During this excellent meeting, we reached an agreement to end the crisis and assert the points of the initiative," he added.
"My position in the middle ground was aimed at ensuring communication between the disputed sides, but the obstruction of the initiative led me to take this position that I hope would pave the way for dialogue," Jumblat stated.
Responding to Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri's statements on Thursday, the Druze leader rejected remarks that the premier is being subject to a political assassination "because no one in Lebanon can eliminate the other."
According to the AP, President Michel Suleiman will launch formal talks Monday on creating a new government, polling lawmakers on their choices before nominating a prime minister.
