Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt criticized as “insulting” German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s remarks that Syrian President Bashar Assad be involved in any Syrian peace talks.

“I just condemn the statement of Chancellor Merkel that is adding insult to injury towards our martyrs and the ones who nearly escaped death,” Jumblatt wrote on Twitter, adding that he denounced any similar statements by other officials according to The Daily Star on Thursday.

“We understand clearly that [the] solution in Syria is to include in a transitory period part of the regime,” he added. “And we know the necessity to include Iran and Russia, but it is up to the Syrian people to decide if they want to keep [Assad] or no and I doubt [that] after all what he has done.”

Merkel said that Assad should be involved in any Syrian peace talks, amid mounting pressure to end the four-year conflict.

Source: MENA