By Sami Haddad
MP Elias Hankash revealed that “the MPs who were unable to attend the first meeting of the opposition MPs to decide on a unified strategy , will attend the next meeting, such as MPs Ghassan Skaf and Charbel Massad, and I think the number of MPs will increase.”
He pointed out, in a television interview , that “openness is the basis for unifying the opposition,” explaining that “the presidential elections are based on numbers, not positions, and we need all components of the opposition in this regard.”
He emphasized that “the Progressive Socialist Party is pragmatic or adopts the art of the possible in politics, while the Lebanese Phalange Party is principled, and Progressive President Walid Jumblatt is not like that, but rather deals with politics according to his interests and daily situations.”
Jumblatt who has been critical of Hezbollah and its allegiance to Iran met recently with top Hezbollah officials at his residence in Beirut . Following the meeting Jumblatt called for dialogue with Hezbollah .
There was a lot of speculation on what was discussed during the meeting but the overall reaction from the opposition MPs was very negative since they were counting on him as being one of them .
Hankash is a member of the phalange party which decided to join the ranks of the reform and independent MPs
Ever since PM Rafic Hariri was killed, Jumblatt has been in the habit of switching sides. While from 2005 to 2009 he was one of the leaders of March 14 alliance and on several occasions he blasted the Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad , in 2009 he quit the alliance and the first thing he did was visiting Syria and meeting with Assad , whose father was behind the assassination of Lebanese leader Kamal Jumblatt ( Walid’s father ) and ever since he has been switching sides as he pleased with the hope of being the king maker . This is what MP Hankash is reportedly referring to when he described him as ” not a man of principals “
Hezbollah lost its parliament majority in the last election and for this reason the opposition has been counting on Jumballt to join their ranks in order to elect a president that is independent and not part of the Hezbollah led March 8 alliance like outgoing president Michel Aoun.
Analysts are of the opinion that the only way Lebanon can regain its sovereignty is for the opposition to join ranks and pick a president that will be up to the task
Ali Hussein , a political analyst told me: ” Under Aoun Lebanon collapsed as a state and there is concern that another Hezbollah backed president like Aoun will be like kissing what has remained from Lebanon “goodbye “.
Sources: El Nashua, Ya Libnan
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