Jumblatt Slams Allies, Praises Sheikh Qassem´s Position
Source: Al-Manar TV, 20-4-2009
Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc leader MP Walid Jumblatt delivered on Sunday messages in all directions, slamming his "allies" and expressing openness to talks with his "rivals"...
The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader was speaking while sponsoring a reconciliation meeting in Shweifat between the family of slain Druze citizen Akram Arbid and the PSP.
Reconciliation was the main theme of Jumblatt's speech... He didn't only praise Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem for his latest position in which he declared the Resistance party's openness to talks with the PSP leader, but also called to achieve the "Greater Reconciliation" between the Mount (Druz stronghold) and Beirut's southern suburb (Hizbullah's stronghold).
Jumblatt emphasized that reconciliation was forged on the basis of Arab fundamentals and added that his party believed in partnering with the head of the Lebanese Democratic party Minister Talal Areslan, especially after the May 7 events to ensure the interest of "the Mountain's Arab and patriotic path," no matter what the alliances were. "Enough with our sectarian divisions. Let us go back to our fundamentals and principles," he said.
Moreover, and while the so-called "allies" within the March 14 were hoping for an "apology" or at least "clarification" for the comments Jumblatt had made during a meeting with Druze spiritual leaders last week and were broadcasted by some media channels. Jumblatt only said "I will not comment, I will not affirm, and I will not deny the media reports. I said what I said and I will not apologize."
"My rhetoric is clear: I do not express opinions that contradict my beliefs. I reject any form of isolation, whether it was on the Druze, Christian, Sunni or Shia level," he explained.
Jumblatt, meanwhile, noted that the post-election phase is "more important" than election itself. "Elections are an important phase, but more important is the post-election phase," he said.
For his part, Minister Talal Areslan stressed that the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled on June 7 would be considered a test for all parties to show the whole world that the Lebanese have ambitions to build a democratic and powerful state. He also emphasized the importance of reaching an agreement.
Areslan stressed that the Zionist entity was Lebanon's sole enemy. "We are not each other's enemies, and we are one during adversity and difficult times. We become a shield of steel that cannot be penetrated or broken," he pointed out.
JUMBLATT'S OPENNESS PAVES WAY FOR NEW POLITICAL TRANSITIONS
Meanwhile, pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat quoted well-informed sources as saying that Jumblatt's openness to talks with his "rivals" lightens a new political map in Lebanon that would follow the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The sources emphasized that the forthcoming elections would pave the way for new political transitions in the country that would draw the whole political picture again, in contrast with the actual distribution of political forces between loyalty and opposition.
