Jumblat Says Political Vacuum Falls Back on Majority

Sources close to Progressive Socialist party leader Walid Jumblat have reiterated that the lawmaker’s remarks on Hizbullah’s rejection to form the cabinet did not intend to “harm” the party.

Sources told As Safir and An Nahar newspapers on Monday that Jumblat “sought to push the cabinet formation forward, since the current vacuum is having bad repercussions on the new majority and the country.”

Meanwhile, the Druze leader tasked caretaker Minister Wael Abou Faour to hold a meeting Sunday night with Speaker Nabih Berri to explain his latest stances.

Sources told An Nahar newspaper that Jumblat’s latest remarks were to signal that the current vacuum in the country and incidents like the attack on UNIFIL and the telecommunications ministry crisis are “unacceptable” and “damage” the country’s economy and political life.

They stressed that the MP didn’t mean to “offend” Hizbullah and he is “keen” on maintaining his relations with the Shiite party.