INTERVIEW-Jumblatt sees risk of wider Lebanon split

By Tom Perry

BEIRUT, March 28 (Reuters) - Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said on Wednesday a political standoff between his ruling coalition and an opposition that includes Hezbollah might result in the creation of two rival governments if not resolved.

Jumblatt said talks this month had made no progress towards solving the crisis, which has triggered Lebanon's worst unrest since its 1975-1990 civil war. He described the situation as risky.

The split between the ruling coalition, which is opposed to Syrian influence in Lebanon, and the opposition, which includes factions allied to Damascus, was on show at an Arab summit on Wednesday in Riyadh. Lebanon has two delegations at the meeting.

"If the summit is unable to deliver something on Lebanon, meaning that it is unable to stop the Syrian regime from sabotaging the stability of Lebanon... well, it's an open crisis. We will stay in this stalemate," Jumblatt told Reuters.

Pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, whose term ends in November, has said he will not hand his authorities to the current government because, like the opposition, he considers it illegitimate.

The handover is part of the procedure towards the election of a new president by parliament, where the majority of seats are held by the anti-Syrian coalition but the speaker, Nabih Berri, is an opposition leader and a Damascus ally.

Jumblatt said: "They might appoint... another president on their behalf, so we'll end up with two presidents maybe, or two governments."



DEADLOCK

The opposition has been demanding veto power in an expanded cabinet. The standoff began in November when opposition ministers quit the cabinet and declared it unconstitutional.

Jumblatt said the governing coalition would not give in to the demand for veto power.

"Once they have it, they (will) block everything," he said, adding that the opposition would use it to halt the establishment of an international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

Jumblatt and his allies accuse Syria of the killing. Damascus denies involvement.

The ruling coalition says the opposition campaign aims to derail the tribunal. Hezbollah and its allies say they have no objection to the court in principle but want to discuss its mandate.

Opposition leader Berri and Saad al-Hariri, another ruling coalition leader, failed to agree on the government and the tribunal in talks this month.

"There was no progress because Nabih Berri was asking for ... the blocking minority, which means the (return) of direct Syrian influence ... in exchange for a vague promise to study the tribunal. So no progress," Jumblatt said.

Resumption of talks depended on the regional sponsors of the rival Lebanese, said Jumblatt, describing Hezbollah as "an advanced military post of the Iranians". Jumblatt's coalition is backed by states including Saudi Arabia.

"It's a balance of power," he said. "A regional balance of power between the Arabs on one side and the Iranians, with the Syrians, on the other."