Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt voiced his pessimism over the results of the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon that will be held in New York.
 
“We heard that the countries [participating in the meeting] will not take any practical steps to offer financial support for Lebanon. Political and emotional support alone are not enough,” Jumblatt told As-Safirnewspaper.
 
He also noted that some countries that were willing to offer some aid to Lebanon to tackle the issue of the Syrian refugees were outcast from participating in this meeting.
 
“We are waiting for a miracle for the meeting to issue serious decisions that could benefit Lebanon and the refugees. How will offering political support and voicing intentions benefit us amid the prevalence of a negative impression on the meeting?” he asked.
 
The president and his accompanying delegation are scheduled to attend the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon on September 25 in New York to seek support to enable Lebanon to accommodate Syrian refugees.
 
Furthermore, the PSP leader also discussed the cabinet formation issue, saying that he does not have any new initiatives to resolve the crisis.
 
“We did the impossible and offered several suggestions to form a cabinet, but all in vain,” he said.
 
He also said that it was impossible to keep any party out of the cabinet.
 
“We are waiting for some parties who object the participation of rival parties in the cabinet [to change their minds], because it is impossible to annihilate others,” he said.
 
Jumblatt also said that he was waiting for President Michel Suleiman to return from New York to decide whether he would organize a meeting with him to discuss the cabinet formation.
 
“So far, I have not decided anything. I will wait a bit,” he said.
 
Lebanon is still waiting for the formation of a new government after the resignation of Caretaker PM Najib Miqati, with March 8 and March 14 deadlocked over the composition of the cabinet.
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/lebanonnews/jumblatt-pessimistic-over-new-yorks-meeting-on-syrian-refugees-in-