Bassil meets Jumblat after delay caused by 'Abu Faour's Maarab visit'

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil met Friday evening with Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, following political clashes and a lengthy break in ties between the two parties.

“The Jumblat-Bassil meeting was not held at noon over a lunch banquet after the FPM expressed dismay over (MP Wael) Abu Faour’s visit to Maarab and his statement from there,” MTV reported.

“The meeting between Jumblat and Bassil took place at the house of his (Jumblat’s) daughter Dalia, and several mediators worked on securing this meeting, espcially MP Farid al-Bustani,” the TV network added.

Speaking to MTV, FPM sources said that Bassil meets with a lot of figures without media coverage.

“Some meetings become known and some remain unknown, and this is all part of a drive that he is leading in order to elect a president based on a salvation program that was established in the (FPM’s) presidential priorities paper,” the sources added.

Al-Jadeed TV had reported that the meeting comes following an initiative from Bassil, who “had previously expressed his desire to discuss the presidential file with Jumblat through several mediators.”

It added that Bassil is working on blocking the election of Suleiman Franjieh as president through a host of meetings that he intends to make, while Jumblat for his part is decrying that the term of Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Amin al-Orm has not been extended.

“Accordingly, his meeting with Bassil might be a gateway for the signature of Defense Minister Maurice Slim on the extension decree,” al-Jadeed added.