Lebanon’s political impasse prompted several forces on Monday to intensify their contacts in an attempt to contain the crisis on referring to the Judicial Council the shooting of two aides of State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib in the Druze area of Aley earlier this month.
The unrest stoked tensions between Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan and the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) of former MP Walid Jumblatt with each Druze party trading blame over the incident.
On Monday, President Michel Aoun discussed with Speaker Nabih Berri the general situation in the country in light of the most recent developments and ongoing efforts to contain the fallout from the Qabr Shamoun unrest. He then held talks with Arslan and his ally, Gharib, who left the meeting without delivering any statements.
Ministerial sources said that the instability would not threaten to cancel a cabinet meeting scheduled for later this week.
“Contacts are ongoing. We have not reached a dead-end,” they told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri had last week postponed a cabinet meeting in wake of the unrest.
“Aoun and Berri kicked off separate contacts to contain the crisis and to ease tensions,” the sources said, adding that the president and speaker will seek to unite their efforts. They will be completed once Hariri returns from a trip abroad.
A political crisis emerged last week after Aoun said he supported referring the Aley case to the Judicial Council that deals with crimes against state security. Hariri however, opted to refer it to the regular judiciary.
Berri also received on Monday PSP official Ghazi al-Aridi.
PSP sources said that the party does not oppose turning to the Judicial Council to handle the case, however, an investigation must first determine whether an ambush was set up for Gharib, or whether he was the victim of an assassination attempt. The probe will determine whether the case should be referred to the Judicial Council.
According to regulations, the investigation would recommend to cabinet that the case be referred to the Council and it is up to the government to decide whether to do so or not.
