Jumblatt sees Saudi-Syria thaw good for Lebanon
A thaw in ties between Saudi Arabia and Syria should help underpin stability in Lebanon, Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said on Thursday.
Jumblatt also stressed the need for compromise between his anti-Syrian "March 14" alliance and a rival Damascus-backed coalition led by Shi”ite group Hezbollah. He did not rule out joining a new unity government after a June 7 parliamentary election.
"We”ll see. I have to consult my allies," he said.
The vote is seen as the next major political milestone in a country that has suffered deep divisions between the pro- and anti-Syrian factions since the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
Rivalry between Syria and Saudi Arabia, which has backed the March 14 alliance, has been seen as one of the factors aggravating a crisis that spilled into armed conflict last May.
"It”s a good thing that Saudi Arabia and Syria are now exchanging visits and it could also reflect on tension between communities inside Lebanon. It will ease the issues in Lebanon," Jumblatt said during an interview with Reuters.
For a story on a visit on Wednesday by the Saudi foreign minister to Syria, click on [nL4917476
The visits have signalled a reduction in tension between the Arab states, whose ties have been strained by Syria”s alliance with Shi”ite Iran, a main backer of Lebanon”s Hezbollah and a state viewed with suspicion by Riyadh.
Relations between Damascus and Riyadh hit their lowest level after the 2005 assassination of Hariri, who was close to the Saudi royal family. Many Lebanese blamed Syria for the killing, a charge denied by Damascus.
URGES PATIENCE
Jumblatt”s allies, including Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri, have described the election as of historic importance to Lebanon, which has enjoyed nine months of relative stability thanks to a Qatari-mediated deal that defused tensions.
The Doha agreement led to the election of a new president and the formation of a national unity government in which Hezbollah and its allies hold veto power.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose group has strong Iranian backing, has already called for the formation of another national unity government post-election.
But Hariri has said he would not share power with pro-Syria factions if they win the vote. Hariri and his allies secured their parliamentary majority in a 2005 election which marked an end to an era of Syrian domination of Lebanon. Jumblatt, who has been one of the toughest critics of Syria”s role, said: "Of course winning would be a moral boost for us, a political boost, but it”s not the end of the world, if we lose."
The election was important, he said. "But I don”t understand why it should be historic. It”s a very important, very crucial moment, okay, but why should we be afraid to talk to the others, to fix up a compromise with the others?" he said.
Jumblatt said he was not alarmed by overtures from the United States towards Syria. Washington has also been an important supporter of March 14 and U.S. pressure was vital in convincing Syria to withdraw troops from Lebanon in 2005.
"I am not afraid that any compromise will be fixed with Syria at the expense of Lebanon," said Jumblatt, who abandoned more than two decades of cooperation with Damascus to join the campaign against its control of Lebanon.
The Druze leader urged patience in pressing March 14″s remaining demands, including the formal delineation of borders between Syria and Lebanon. "We still have some hot points, disputes, but we can wait and be patient and it could reflect positively on the ground," he said.