Jumblat Reiterates Rejection of Partial Settlement over Extra-Budgetary Spending

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat hinted on Friday that members of his parliamentary bloc would reject a partial settlement to the controversial extra-budgetary spending if the issue was discussed at parliament again.

In a remark to As Safir daily, Jumblat said: “We have previously said that we reject partial solutions and settlements.”

He made his statement in response to a question if his MPs would guarantee a quorum if Speaker Nabih Berri called for a session to discuss the $5.9 billion draft-law.

The parliament has previously failed to approve it after MPs from both the March 14 opposition and Jumblat’s National Struggle Front bloc blocked it over demands to include the spending of the governments of ex-PMs Fouad Saniora and Saad Hariri in the settlement.

But the March 8 ministers led by Hizbullah, Amal movement and the Free Patriotic Movement are pressuring President Michel Suleiman to sign it based on article 58 of the constitution to avoid another parliamentary setback.

Meanwhile, the PSP and Hizbullah are in continuous contact despite their differences on several issues.

The two sides met over dinner on Thursday at the house of Hizbullah Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan.

Hizbullah Minister Mohammed Fneish, member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Hassan Fadlallah and Hizbullah official Wafiq Safa attended the discussion.

As for the PSP representatives, they included Ministers Ghazi Aridi and Wael Abou Faour, and MP Akram Shehayyeb.

Political sources told As Safir that the meeting is part of routine talks held between the two sides which had last met at Aridi’s house.