Abou Faour: Jumblat Concerned Over Lebanon’s Civil Peace, Syria’s Stability

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat continues to remain a centrist and seeks to defend civil peace, Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Tuesday.

Civil peace is a priority for Jumblat who is only interested in keeping Lebanon away from strife, Abou Faour, who represents the PSP chief in the cabinet, said.

While admitting that Jumblat’s statements especially on Syria have different interpretations, the minister said: “All what Walid Beik says stems from his keenness on Syria, its stability and the stability of Lebanon as well.”

In his weekly editorial to al-Anbaa on Monday, the PSP chief hoped that the twin attacks in Norway would serve as a lesson to some regime leaders who don’t understand the importance of reform, “and who continue on violently confronting the people’s rightful demands.”

“What is happening in Syria is a real revolution,” he wrote.

Abou Faour told Asharq al-Awsat that when Jumblat calls for reform in Syria, it means he is warning that the crisis would harm both Syria and Lebanon if protests against the regime turn more violent.

Asked about reports that Jumblat changed his stance and began criticizing the Syrian regime after the neighboring country’s Druze community expressed its frustration over his support for President Bashar Assad, the minister said: “Not at all. Syria’s Druze are part of the Syrian texture.”

“Jumblat is not concerned over Syria’s Druze but on the unity of Syria,” he added.

A high-ranking political source also told al-Liwaa newspaper that Jumblat was seeking to send an international message to Assad that the current situation was not in favor of his regime.

The Druze leader’s concern is shared by the council of the crisis management in Syria – Turkey, Russia and Europe – which believe that the Assad regime has entered the stage of no return, the source said.