Jumblatt in Washington for talks on election, Syrian influence

Daily Star - Jumblatt in Washington for talks on election, Syrian influence
Druze leader seeks US support to help elect candidate from March 14 Forces to presidency, October 17, 2007

Democratic Gathering Bloc leader Walid Jumblatt arrived in Washington on Tuesday for meetings with US administration officials that will focus on Lebanon's presidential election and ways to curb Syria's influence over Lebanon. Jumblatt's visit comes a week before Parliament is scheduled to convene to elect a new president amid a widening gap between Lebanon's Western-backed majority and the Hizbullah-led opposition. The Druze leader hopes to rally US support during his trip to help his coalition, the March 14 Forces, elect one of their own to the presidential post. Hizbullah and its allies are calling for a consensus candidate. On Monday, Jumblatt held a series of meetings in New York with UN officials including UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Nicola Michel that focused on ways to speed up the creation of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Upon his arrival in Washington Jumblatt said the efforts exerted to create the Special Tribunal were satisfactory. He also said the March 14 Forces does not object to reaching a consensus over a president, but that "this president must respect international resolutions including 1559 and 1701." Both resolutions call for the disarmament of Hizbullah and other armed groups. He also said the president "should be committed to the principles of the cedar revolution, sovereignty, independence and free choice." Jumblatt's visit to the United States follows a visit last month by Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri during which he met with President George W. Bush and other top officials. Jumblatt said on Tuesday that his relationship with ally Hariri "was very strong. We are today working hand in hand for a sovereign, free and democratic Lebanon." On Monday, the US Congress condemned Syrian and Iranian interference in Lebanon's internal affairs, proposing a draft resolution that holds Damascus and Iran responsible "for the assassinations campaign" that targeted anti-Syrian Lebanese officials, politicians, and journalists. The resolution also condemns "Lebanese politicians who are blocking the constitutional election of a new president." The resolution urges Bush to push the UN to adopt resolutions that protect Lebanon's sovereignty and freedom and prevent foreign interference in its affairs. In a related development, Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh said Mount Lebanon Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Ali Jouzou has received death threats from the Syrian regime. In Beirut, politicians remained focused on the presidential election scheduled for next Tuesday and the Maronite Church's efforts to ensure it which include attempts to create a committee that would follow up on the two meetings the Church held separately last week with leaders from the majority and the opposition. The committee has yet to see light with local news reports suggesting there are difficulties facing its creation. Late Tuesday, the March 14 Forces named two representatives for the committee. National Liberal Party head Dory Chamoun and National Bloc chief Carlos Edde will attend the committee's meetings. Al-Akhbar newspaper, citing sources from the March 14 Forces, said that Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir was "worried" his efforts to find a consensus candidate would fail. The sources added that the patriarch has said he will not oppose an interim president for two years if his initiative fails. On Monday, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea told Al-Jazeera news television that he was not a consensus candidate The foreign ministers of France, Italy and Spain, in a mission supported by the Vatican, will arrive in Beirut Friday "to push for a presidential election to prevent a constitutional void in the presidency which would negatively affect the Christian role in Lebanon's political life." Visitors to Lebanese Army commander General Michel Suleiman quoted him as saying Tuesday that the army was ready to thwart any attempts to create chaos in case of a presidential vacuum. "The army, regardless of political developments, will continue to fulfill its national duties, and will confront any attempt to mess with security and national peace and prevent the country from falling into chaos."