Jumblat Criticizes Mustaqbal, LF for Not Naming Nawaf Salam

Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat took a swipe Thursday at his former March 14 allies al-Mustaqbal Movement and the Lebanese Forces for refraining from voting for Lebanon’s former envoy to the U.N. Nawaf Salam in the binding parliamentary consultations to name a new PM.

“It is not strange for the March 8 forces to choose their candidate and succeed in doing so, seeing as they at least have a project,” Jumblat tweeted.

“But when the future forces disguised with technocracy, as if they are Sillicon Valley graduates, let down Nawaf Salam out of fear of change, this highlights their futility and bankruptcy,” Jumblat added, in an apparent jab at Mustaqbal and the LF, who did not name anyone for the PM-designate post.

Referring to his bloc’s support for Salam, Jumblat said: “We were a minority and will remain so and this is much comfortable.”

Backed by Hizbullah, the AMAL Movement, the Free Patriotic Movement and their allies, the academic and ex-minister Hassan Diab garnered 69 votes in the consultations.

Salam meanwhile received 13 votes – 11 from Jumblat’s bloc and those of the MPs Nouhad al-Mashnouq and Michel Mouawad.

Forty-two MPs, including those of al-Mustaqbal and the LF, meanwhile did not name any candidate, as MP Paula Yacoubian voted for civil society figure Halima Qaaqour.