Former Minister of the War Displaced, Druze MP Walid Jumblatt held a long day of talks yesterday in the Syrian capital. During a four-hour meeting with Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad, Jumblatt discussed recent regional and bilateral issues. He also met Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam. Details of his talks in Damascus were not disclosed to the press.
Jumblatt’s visit to Damascus followed comments he made during a TV interview Monday during which he accused President Emil Lahhoud of seeking to “monopolize” ties with Syria. “The president will have to excuse me, but relations with Syria are not a monopoly on his part,” he said during the interview. Jumblatt was referring to a remark made by the president in his inaugural address when he said that relations with Syria should not be through individual politicians serving their own interests.
In the live TV interview, Jumblatt also criticized what he described as signs of the “militarization” of the political system following General Lahhoud’s accession to the presidency of the republic. The Druze leader also renewed his opposition to the government of Prime Minister Salim Al-Hoss describing the new cabinet as “colorless and tasteless”.
