Jumblat Voices Fear over Regional Developments, Says Saudi Arabia Agrees on Formation of Cabinet

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat expressed fear on Thursday that the ongoing developments in the region would have negative repercussion on Lebanon, saying that Saudi Arabia voiced consensus over formation of a new cabinet.

“The formation of a new cabinet will persuade lawmakers to attend parliament session, which would facilitate the presidential elections,” Jumblat said in comments published in al-Akhbar newspaper.

The Druze leader said that he will not comment on the ongoing dispute over the ministerial statement until it the cabinet is formed.

He urged political foes to separate between the cabinet formation process and the upcoming presidential elections.

The March 8 alliance and mainly Speaker Nabih Berri have called for keeping discussions on the policy statement until after the formation of the cabinet. He has also stuck to the army-people-resistance formula.

But the March 14 camp, which is holding on to a deal with its rivals on several of the government's aspects, has insisted on having the Baabda Declaration as the basis of the policy statement.

Jumblat praised efforts exerted by al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri to form a new cabinet, stressing that the distribution of political portfolios hasn't been discussed yet.

He expressed hope that discussing the details “will not cause any dispute.”

Jumblat said that he “cannot ignore the role played by Iran in the region, in particularly, after the United States didn't.”

He called on political foes to exploit the changes in the region to “safeguard Lebanon from the repercussions of the Syrian turmoil.”

Concerning Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour's recent visit to Saudi Arabia on his behalf following Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's visit to Lebanon, Jumblat described it as “positive.”

He noted that “Saudi Arabia doesn't mind the formation of a new cabinet.”

“I have been always forthright with the Saudis and I take into consideration the delicate political situation in Lebanon.”

Jumblat slammed “some March 14 officials,” without naming them, over their attempt to obstruct the ongoing endeavors to form a new cabinet.

The government formation process has witnessed an intensified a political activity in an attempt to end the standstill since Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam was appointed in April.

The cabinet formation process was put on the front burner after Berri proposed a revised 8-8-8 government formula and President Michel Suleiman said he would form a so-called neutral cabinet if the political rivals don't agree on an all-embracing government within ten days.

Amid the Lebanese Forces' rejection of Hizbullah's participation in the cabinet, the March 14 camp has reportedly accepted the 8-8-8 formula in principle, but it is awaiting answers pertaining to the ministerial policy statement and the rotation of portfolios among political parties.

The 8-8-8 formula divides ministers equally between the centrists and March 14 and 8 alliances, in which each get eight ministers with “decisive ministers” for the March 14 and 8 coalitions.