BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt renewed his call Thursday for a political solution to end the 10-month unrest in Syria, but accused Damascus of starting the violence against pro-democracy protesters demanding the ouster of President Bashar Assad.

Jumblatt, who is on a visit to Moscow, spoke to LBCI TV after holding talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the Syrian crisis.

The PSP, which has criticized the Syrian regime over its brutal crackdown on protesters, stressed the need to reach a political solution to end the turmoil, where more than 5,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the popular uprising began in March last year, according to the United Nations.

“This political solution should be based on the Arab peace plan,” Jumblatt told LBCI. “The Syrian regime is the one that started the violence in Syria.”

The PSP leader added that his talks with Lavrov had not touched on the issue of Assad stepping down and handing over power.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Lavrov, Jumblatt said there was no alternative to a political solution based on the Arab initiative to end the bloodshed in Syria. He urged Russia to prod the Syrian regime into halting the violence against protesters.

The Arab League’s call for Assad to step down in favor of a unity government was rebuffed by Syria Monday as a “conspiracy.”

The latest Arab initiative was endorsed at a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo last Sunday.

During a short visit to Qatar last week, Jumblatt urged Iran and Turkey to play a role in helping end the crisis in Lebanon’s neighbor.

Syria and its allies have maintained that the uprising in the country is part of a conspiracy aimed at targeting Assad’s rule. Assad has vowed to continue his crackdown against who he describes as “terrorists.” The regime has repeatedly blamed “armed gangs” for the violence in the country.

Meanwhile, Aley MP Akram Chehayeb, a PSP official, said Jumblatt’s expected participation at a commemoration for assassinated ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s next month does not mean his bloc would rejoin the March 14 coalition.

“The National Struggle Front will not rejoin March 14,” Chehayeb said in remarks published Thursday.

“However, Feb. 14 is a very dear occasion and it cannot pass without our participation,” he added.

Hariri was assassinated on Feb. 14, 2005.