PSP Says Report on Its PM Candidate Inaccurate, Jumblat Declines to Comment

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Tuesday stressed that he will not “voice any stance or comment” on his candidate for the premiership before his upcoming TV interview on Thursday evening.

In a brief phone interview with al-Manar television, Jumblat declined to comment on a media report claiming that he will back former premier Saad Hariri's pick for the premiership.

The opposition al-Mustaqbal bloc and the centrist National Struggle Front have agreed to throw their weight behind the person that Hariri will name to lead the new government, said a report published by As Safir newspaper on Tuesday.

Caretaker Minister Wael Abu Faour, who is close to Jumblat, held talks with Hariri in Riyadh and returned to Beirut late Monday, said the report.

As Safir said that the talks culminated in a deal for Jumblat's bloc to name the same person that Hariri, who is the head of al-Mustaqbal movement, will back for the premiership on condition that he be a non-provocative man and acceptable by all sides.

But al-Manar quoted PSP sources as saying that the report is "inaccurate."

"Nothing is final before we agree on the nature of the coming period,” the sources said.

“There is direct communication with Hizbullah and Jumblat is communicating with (Speaker Nabih) Berri and al-Mustaqbal,” the sources added.

Al-Manar also reported that caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati “will return Tuesday night from London to Beirut amid reports of important meetings he will hold in the coming hours."

It also quoted sources close to President Michel Suleiman as saying that "the postponement of (binding parliamentary) consultations (to name a new PM) may only happen if all parties request that."

Meanwhile, Mustaqbal sources told LBCI television: “We refuse to await Miqati's return and Hariri and (ex-PM Fouad) Saniora are discussing the possible nominees, but the chosen candidate will not be known before Thursday.”

Jumblat's sources did not deny to LBCI “the rapprochement between the PSP and Mustaqbal over the formation of the government,” but added that they want first to know “the characteristics of the coming period.”

“Nothing has been settled and a delegation from the parliamentary majority will meet tomorrow with Berri. Let there be a new law and we will go tomorrow to polls,” LBCI quoted Hizbullah sources as saying.