Shehayeb: we didn’t leave March 14 to join March 8 alliance

MP Akram Shehayeb, a member of the parliamentary bloc which is headed by PSP leader MP Walid Jumblatt declared that they were never followers and even when they had an excellent relationship with Syria prior to 2005 they were allies and not followers.

In an interview with ‘al Esbouh al Arabi’ and ‘Magazine’ Shehayeb said when we were with March 14 we were leaders but when we found that the political rivalries were going to lead to political polarization and division within the country we decided that for the sake of civil peace and protecting the country from any strife that it was better to leave March 14 alliance …but we didn’t leave March 14 alliance to join March 8 alliance

Shehayeb was trying to justify Jumblatt’s political U Turn in August 2009 when when he announced that he was leaving March 14 .

Jumblatt’s move came after the 2009 elections .

Shehayeb said that Jumblatt’s contacts with former PM Saad Hariri were never severed .

Shehayeb denied that Moscow had anything to do with Jumblatt’s recent remarks about the Syrian uprising stressing that his call for implementing the reforms is aimed at ending the blood bath and protecting Syria … adding violence breeds violence

Returning to Lebanon he reiterated jumblatt’s call for dialogue

Shehayeb described Jumblatt’s relation with MP Marwan Hamadah as a life long journey adding we should never forget that this man ( Hamadeh) entered and exited the grave

He was referring to 2004 when Hamadeh miraculously survived an assassination attempt by the Syrians with help from Hezbollah in October 2004

Unlike Shehayeb Hamadeh did not follow Jumblatt when he decided to quit march 14 alliance … Hamadeh remains a leading member of the alliance