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The former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), Walid Joumblatt, expressed hope that Lebanon will not be dragged into war, because if it does, “nothing will be left” of the country.
The former head of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), Walid Joumblatt, believes that the election of a President of the Republic cannot take place without the endorsement of Saudi Arabia, which, according to him, “has abandoned the dossier” and “vetoed” the candidacy of Hezbollah-backed Marada party leader, Sleiman Frangieh.
“It is impossible to elect a president in Lebanon without the consent of Saudi Arabia,” Joumblatt asserted in an interview with LBCI.
He deemed that “theoretically,” the initiative led by the Group of Five (France, United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt), which had held several meetings devoted to the presidential crisis in Lebanon, was “promising.” “But in practice, it has not come to fruition due to Saudi reservations or retreats,” he added.
Riyadh, he went on to say, has “set conditions for relaunching the traditional policy of aiding Lebanon.”
Joumblatt raised concerns that “the presidential election risks being taken away from the Maronites” and warned of “the potential prolongation of the political vacuum.” He called on the leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, and the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) Gebran Bassil “to meet” and discuss the issue.
For the Druze leader, the candidacies of Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund, and Sleiman Frangieh should be “forgotten.” He emphasized the need “to be creative to get out of this destructive vacuum.”
War in Gaza
Joumblatt also described the raging war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel as the most important issue at present, “as Lebanon risks being drawn into the conflict.”
“So far, military developments in South Lebanon remain within the agreed limits,” he noted, stressing that they had not yet “overstepped the rules of engagement.” “But when the war starts, no one will know how to stop it,” he lamented. In this respect, Joumblatt pointed out that “Hezbollah’s decision is Lebanese,” but “dependent on Iranian considerations.”
Joumblatt reiterated his wish not to see “Lebanon dragged into the war” in Gaza, stressing that otherwise, “there will be nothing left” of the country. Addressing Hezbollah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, he called for “restraint.” At the same time, he conveyed a message to Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, asking him not to “involve Lebanon in the war.”
He recalled that in 2006, during the Israeli offensive against Hezbollah, “some countries tried to limit the damage and confine the war to certain regions.” “But today, no one is on our side due to Western backing of Israel,” Joumblatt warned.
Asked about Hezbollah’s relationship with Bassil, the former PSP chief pointed out that the pro-Iranian party was “looking for a Christian ally.” This is why, in his opinion, Hezbollah is trying to get closer to Bassil again at a time when relations between Hezbollah and the FPM are not at their best. “It seems that Hezbollah agrees with Bassil not to extend the term of office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army” Joseph Aoun, Joumblatt concluded.
