PSP: Jumblat Will Only Lay a Flower on His Father's Tomb Sunday

The Progressive Socialist Party revealed Friday that its leader MP Walid Jumblat “will only lay a flower on the tomb” of his father, slain Druze leader Kamal Jumblat, on the latter’s birthday on Sunday, after several media reports suggested that Jumblat would deliver a key speech on the occasion and that he was seeking to revive the Democratic Gathering.

A statement issued by PSP’s media department said Jumblat will commemorate the occasion “with friends and comrades.”

The media department stressed that “there will not be a central ceremony as recently circulated by some media outlets.”

Al-Liwaa newspaper reported on November 16 that Jumblat was seeking to revive the defunct Democratic Gathering.

“He is paving way to meet with ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri,” sources told the daily.

The daily said Jumblat has been mending ties with old allies after a recent meeting with a delegation from al-Mustaqbal movement aimed at restoring the Democratic Gathering in Mukhtara, the newspaper said.

In January 2007 Jumblat announced the end of his Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc, after four MPs of the 11-member gathering decided not to back his candidate for the premiership.

He named his new bloc the National Struggle Front, which comprises MPs Ghazi Aridi, Wael Abu Faour, Akram Shehayyeb, Alaeddine Terro, Nehme Tohme and Elie Aoun.

The four MPs who are not part of Jumblat's bloc anymore are Marwan Hamadeh, Henry Helou, Antoine Saad and Fouad al-Saad.

The recent meeting was reportedly attended by members of the PSP leadership and al-Mustaqbal officials Ahmed Fatfat, Hadi Hobeish and Ziad al-Qaderi.

The daily reported that the meeting was held away from the media spotlight.

However, sources told al-Liwaa that the gatherers discussed the latest developments concerning the Syrian turmoil and the possible repercussions of the regime collapse, the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri, and the new electoral draft law.

They noted that the meeting was successful and was aimed at restoring the relations between the two sides.

PSP sources said that the meeting was to discuss the electoral draft law. Both sides agreed on coordinating their stances regarding all the issues, they said.

For its part, the Central News Agency said on September 29 that Jumblat has been holding talks with a number of high-ranking March 14 officials.

It quoted sources as saying that the PSP chief informed his former allies that he agreed with their viewpoints.