Jumblatt: Attempt To Transform Lebanon Into Hizbullah State

Walid Jumblatt, the leader of the Lebanese Druze in parliament, lashed out at Hizbullah parliamentarians on Tuesday, accusing the group of trying to turn Lebanon into a "Hizbullah state." For weeks, parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri has refused to convene the legislature and has been supported by the opposition led by Hizbullah. Referring to Hizbullah, Jumblatt told an assemblage of protestors outside the parliament that, "political forces that don’t believe in Lebanon will not control us… The conflict is the de facto government, the government of Hizbullah, which does not recognize Lebanon." The Daily Star newspaper reported that the legislature’s pro-government deputy speaker complained that "hundreds of bills" awaited approval and urged Berri to call a session "immediately.”