Jumblatt’s Initiative: Majority Hails Dialogue, March 14: No Comment

Hilal Salman

National Struggle Front Leader MP Walid Jumblatt launched Monday his so-called "Medial Dialogue Initiative".
In an attempt to break the wall of Lebanese sharp divisions, Jumblatt's initiative tackled various regional and internal points. This came as Lebanese President Michel Suleiman's call for dialogue was blocked by March 14's rejection.

On the internal level, the MP's initiative focused on dialogue as the only outcome for the current Lebanese crisis.
"Only dialogue can serve Lebanon, and not fiery rhetoric," Jumblatt said.
According to him, "the initiative stipulates a commitment to national dialogue as the only means to resolve crises and the need for political parties to commit to the state as the sole authority."

In parallel, he hinted to the international advice of preserving the current government: "They [the international players] urged all the Lebanese factions that the government can be changed only if the circumstances were suitable for such change."

In response to the calls for toppling the government, the MP revealed that he would nominate Prime Minister Najib Mikati for a second term if no consensus was reached on a national unity government.
"Mikati has nothing to do with the assassination of late Information Branch Major General Wissam al-Hassan," Jumbaltt stressed.
Meanwhile, the Druze Leader described his relation with Hizbullah as excellent.

Jumblatt further called for ending media and violent political rhetoric, and avoiding dragging Lebanon into the Syrian crisis.

As he hailed the resistance efforts to liberate the Lebanese Shebaa Farms and occupied al-Ghajar, the MP called for a revision to the "Army, People, Resistance" equation.

"One day after we resume dialogue we should come up with a new formula because we can no longer have a formula that is unclear and confuses the role of the Army with that of the resistance," he said.
Moreover, he told reporters that "sooner or later, we must go back to the state."

"Yes to the liberation of the occupied territories in appropriate ways. No to the "Israeli" breaches," Jumblatt reiterated.

However, he rejected the use of Ayoub drone for what he called "purposes that aren't in Lebanon's interests."

On the regional level, the MP slammed the Arab's attempt to fight Iran via Lebanon. "I repeat to those who want to fight Iran: Let them do it outside Lebanon. We don't want to be another Gaza."

Commenting on the initiative, Future MP Ammar Houry refrained from giving any comments.

In remarks to al-Ahed news, Houri stated that "the Future bloc has to study the initiative before responding to it."

He further revealed that "all March 14 factions agree on boycotting the national dialogue table that President Suleiman called for on the 29th of this month."

Similarly, the Change and Reform bloc MP Hikmat Dib said that "their bloc will examine the details of the initiative."
However, he highlighted that "the general framework of the initiative is good."
"But, the outcomes are linked to the implementation and commitment of political forces," Dib told al-Ahed news as he confirmed that "dialogue is our priority."
For his part, the Development and Liberation Bloc MP, Ali Khreis, considered that "Jumblatt's initiative carried important and essential headlines, particularly on the subject of dialogue."

"Dialogue is our main concern," he said, and noted that "we must preserve calm, stability, and dialogue."

Meanwhile, Khreis warned of the dangers of a governmental void.
In this context, the MP rejected head of Future bloc MP Fouad Siniora's call for toppling the current government before agreeing on a new one.

"This is very annoying," he said, and pointed out that "it seems that Siniora thought that he was living in Switzerland."
Moreover, Khreis hailed the content of Jumblatt's initiative on devoting a policy of self-dissociation from the crisis in Syria.

"Such a position from Jumblatt is very important," he concluded.

Source:al-Ahed news, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org