Jumblat Seeks Mending Ties with Old Allies, Aims at Reviving Democratic Gathering

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat is seeking to revive the “Democratic Gathering,” al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Wednesday.

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

Jumblat is mending ties with old allies after he met on Tuesday a delegation from al-Mustaqbal movement to restore 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 including 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 meeting was 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.

Al-Liwaa reported that a delegation from the PSP leadership will meet with Secretary General of Mustaqbal movement Ahmed Hariri on Tuesday, and other party leaders in the next few days after the establishment of the PSP’s new leadership council.