Former president of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, stated that "the issue of displaced persons has become a hot topic since the murders of Pascal Suleiman in Jbeil and Yasser Koukash in Azounieh. We need to find the best solution to this problem. To this end, we have drafted a paper that we will present to all political parties, which should strengthen Prime Minister Najib Mikati's position at the Brussels Conference on displaced persons on May 27."
Regarding the suitable solution to this crisis, Jumblatt said in an interview with "L'Orient-Le Jour" that "there is no escape from discussing this file with the Syrian regime. While there are parties that have an antagonistic stance towards the Syrian regime, including the Progressive Socialist Party, it is impossible to deny that Syria exists, and there are also geographical considerations, especially concerning the return of refugees. They should be divided into categories: those who are not refugees and have worked in Lebanon for a long time, the financially well-off, political refugees, and those who came to Lebanon after the massive destruction in Syria. This paper we have drafted includes these points that need to be negotiated with the Damascus regime."
He added: "I remind you that there are diplomatic relations between Beirut and Damascus, which was a demand of the March 14 Forces. I believe we can avoid political normalization by focusing only on the issue of the displaced, which is a security matter. I would also like to point out that we must negotiate with the UNHCR to improve the conditions for the return of Syrians."
Regarding the boycott of the Maarab meeting, he said: "It is not me; rather, the Progressive Socialist Party decided not to go to Maarab. Then what is the benefit of meeting people who do not recognize us?" When asked: "The absence of the Progressive Socialist Party has been interpreted as a refusal to allow Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea to establish himself as the leader of the opposition. Is this the case?" Jumblatt replied: "We have our middle-ground stance, and we support the logic of compromise. He is stringent, and if he wants to prove himself as the opposition leader, he can do so without us; I have no problem with that."
He concluded: "What Maarab does not want to acknowledge is that Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri is tasked with negotiating with the American presidential envoy Amos Hochstein. The truth is that Berri is negotiating the possibility of separating the Lebanese file from the Gaza file. As for the next phase, I cannot predict what will happen, but I hope we can avoid escalation in the country."
