Walid Jumblat
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Phalange MPs to Provide Conditional Quorum to June 8 Parliament Session

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel announced that the party’s MPs would be willing to participate in the June 8 parliamentary session on condition that its schedule be restricted to the topic of extending the term of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh.

This position was revealed a couple of days after he had met with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Thursday night as part of the MP’s “centrist” efforts to overcome the obstacles in the government formation.

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Miqati Defends Decision to Boycott June 8 Session

Premier-designate Najib Miqati announced his boycott of the June 8 parliamentary session out of fears that if he attended the meeting he would be accused of procrastination in the formation of the new cabinet, his sources said.

The sources told An Nahar daily published Saturday that Miqati made his decision to shrug off accusations that he prefers giving executive authorities to parliament rather than speeding up the government formation process.

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Geagea Hints that Jumblat Should Review his Stance, Form New Majority

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has said that the cabinet crisis would be solved only if some blocs reviewed their stances and formed a new parliamentary majority.

“There is no possibility to end the crisis unless some parliamentary blocs reviewed their stances and formed a new majority that quickly works on holding things together by forming a cabinet and filling the current void,” Geagea told the Saudi Okaz daily published Saturday.

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Fate of Central Bank Governor Lies in Hand of Indecisive Stances

The stance of President Michel Suleiman on how to renew the mandate of Central Bank governor Riyad Salameh is not clear yet as some sources say that he prefers the adoption of “mobile draft-laws” while others claim that the head of state favors a cabinet session.

Sources close to Suleiman told As Safir daily on Friday that he rejects the adoption of the so-called mobile draft-laws and prefers “a consensual cabinet session” to only settle the crisis of the Central Bank governor if a new government was not formed.

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March 8 Forces are Highly Optimistic but Miqati Denies Deal

Premier-designate Najib Miqati has denied reports that a deal was reached to end the cabinet deadlock, saying he was still waiting for parliamentary blocs to provide him with the names of their candidates for the government seats.

“I haven’t been informed about anything,” Miqati told al-Akhbar daily in remarks published Friday.

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Jumblat Meets Gemayel Amid Efforts to Expand Centrist Forces

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat is reportedly exerting efforts to expand the “centrist” bloc in the country that mainly includes President Michel Suleiman and Premier-designate Najib Miqati and Jumblat.

An Nahar newspaper reported that the PSP leader invited Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel to dinner at his residence in Clemenceau on Thursday in his ongoing efforts to expand the “centrist force” in the country.

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Jumblat, Miqati and Allies Deal Blow to June 8 Session

Head of the National Struggle Front bloc Walid Jumblat reportedly opposes a planned parliamentary session aimed at renewing the mandate of the Central Bank governor and might boycott the meeting on June 8.

Jumblat’s sources told As Safir daily on Thursday that the Druze leader prefers to resort to a “mobile draft-law” to renew Riyad Salameh’s mandate rather than holding a session amid the absence of a government.

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Jumblat: Vacuum Caused by Delay in Government Formation Being Filled with Chaos

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat said Wednesday that amending the Taef accord is something that the country does not “tolerate.”

“It took us from 1975 till 1989 to agree on the Taef accord. I don’t think we’ll enter this vortex again if we take into consideration the importance of agreeing on the president’s authorities,” the PSP leader said.

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Jumblat Says he ‘Gave Up,’ Hints Aoun Behind Cabinet Delay

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat denied that his latest stance from Hizbullah was aimed at requesting a “political asylum back to the March 14 forces,” As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday.

“I am frustrated and depressed. I gave up,” Jumblat said.

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Jumblat: UNIFIL Attack Aimed at Pressuring Participating Countries to Lower Number of Troops

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat condemned Friday’s attack against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, wondering whether the timing was connected to “very sensitive” political situation on the internal and regional scenes.

He asked in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “Was the attack aimed at pressuring the participating countries in UNFIL to lower the number of troops who have played a major role in implementing U.N. Security Council resolution 1701?”

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