Jumblat: Vacuum Caused by Delay in Government Formation Being Filled with Chaos

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat said Wednesday that amending the Taef accord is something that the country does not “tolerate.”

“It took us from 1975 till 1989 to agree on the Taef accord. I don’t think we’ll enter this vortex again if we take into consideration the importance of agreeing on the president’s authorities,” the PSP leader said.

Jumblat hoped that the country would overcome the current cabinet deadlock. He said that “the country can’t carry on without a government.”

The PSP leader told reporters after holding a meeting with former PM Salim al-Hoss that he doesn’t “fear” a security backlash in the country.

“We hadn’t witnessed a crisis similar to the telecommunications ministry in the height of division and the civil war,” he said, hoping that this incident wouldn’t happen again.

When asked if he supports President Michel Suleiman’s measures against Internal Security Forces Chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, Jumblat said that “he won’t go into the matter’s details.”

“If there are any procedural measures to be taken regarding this issue, I’m not a specialist,” he said.

He later held talks with MP Tammam Salam, after which he said: “The vacuum caused by the delay in the government formation is being filled with chaos.”

“We agreed that the Resistance’s arms should be addressed through dialogue and that the weapons should not be used on the internal scene,” he added.

“We need to implement international resolutions, especially U.N. Security Council resolution 1701,” the MP stated.

“The citizen has grown accustomed to the governmental vacuum and this is unacceptable,” Jumblat noted.

He was accompanied by caretaker Minister Ghazi al-Aridi and MP Alaeddine Terro.