PSP Sympathizes with March 14 in its Telecom Data Request
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat supported the demand of the March 14 coalition for the government to provide the so-called telecom data to security agencies to prevent future plots against Lebanese politicians.
In remarks to As Safir daily published Friday, Jumblat justified the opposition’s demand to hand over all telecom data including the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) to security bodies by saying “they have witnessed assassination attempts and the involved (telecom) minister (Nicolas Sehnaoui) is obstructing the data.”
In other remarks, Jumblat said: “It is unacceptable for a minister to block data.”
He told a delegation that it was the primary duty of Sehnaoui to provide a three-member judicial committee with the data to decide whether they can be handed over to the security forces.
MP Butros Harb escaped a murder attempt earlier in the month when security forces found detonators in the elevator of his office building. Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea also escaped sniper fire at his residence in Maarab in April.
March 14 held the government responsible for the plots against two of its members for withholding telecom data necessary for security agencies to uncover such plots.
Following a meeting held at Center House by top opposition officials and politicians on Thursday, the coalition announced the suspension of its participation in the national dialogue at Baabda palace pending the handing over of the data, including IMSI, lifting the political cover off wanted people, and abiding by the Constitution which underlines the exclusive authority of the state over arms, a reference to Hizbullah’s arsenal.
A high-ranking March 14 source told An Nahar daily on Friday that the statement issued a day earlier was among the first steps that the opposition will take to pressure the government into meeting its demands.
“There is no going back on the decision to suspend the participation in the next dialogue session unless all our requests are met,” he said.
The source threw the data ball in the government’s court, saying the alliance will review its decision only if the cabinet agrees to hand all data to security bodies.
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