Head of the National Struggle Front MP Walid Jumblat ruled out the possibility of the nomination of MPs Henri Helou or Fouad al-Saad for the presidential elections, saying that he will not declare his candidate at the moment, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday.
He explained: “I will choose the candidate at the last moment and after consulting my conscience and political partners.”
Full StoryProgressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat refused to reveal the name of his candidate to the presidency a day after Speaker Nabih Berri called for a session to elect a new head of state.
“Those who want to know my candidate for the presidency should wait until the parliamentary session,” Jumblat said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.
Full StoryKataeb leader Amin Gemayel and the head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc Fouad Saniora agreed on the importance of coordination between the March 14 alliance's members before backing any presidential candidate, sources said Tuesday.
Saniora visited Gemayel on Monday after talks with al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri in Riyadh.
Full StorySpeaker Nabih Berri sought to appease on Monday Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat, who has expressed fears over the state's failure to fund a new wage scale deliberated by lawmakers.
In remarks carried by local dailies on Monday, Berri said: “When Mr. Walid checks the chart, he will be reassured and find the reform articles that have been introduced (to the draft-law) to prevent squandering of funds and corruption.”
Full StoryProgressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed the importance of reform at public administrations in order to ensure the success of the new wage scale, reported the daily An Nahar daily on Sunday.
He explained: “My parliamentary bloc will object to the new wage scaled if it lacks clear means of funding.”
Full StoryProgressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Wednesday suggested several sources that can be used to finance the stalled new wage scale, revealing that the PSP will soon make an "initiative" toward the Syndicate Coordination Committee, which has been championing the demands.
“I propose a series of ideas that perhaps can contribute to finding serious and real solutions and putting an end to the political and populist overbidding and to attempts to persuade the working class with delusional exits despite its rightful and legitimate demands,” said Jumblat in a statement.
Full StoryProgressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Tuesday questioned the path the discussion over funding the new wage scale is taking, denouncing holding state employees responsible for “any possible financial or economic collapse” that could happen after approving the debated draft law.
"It is weird and absurd how discussion is going in circles regarding the best means to fund the new wage scale, which is a rightful demand for public employees, without touching upon the main problem in depth,” Jumblat said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website.
Full StoryProgressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat voiced surprise Tuesday that some political parties had “forewarned” the leaders of the fighting frontiers in Tripoli and advised them to escape ahead of the security plan that got underway earlier in the day.
“In a magical way ... and after the genius, high-ranking political and security officials obtained miraculous powers, the implementation of the Tripoli security plan got underway, after the city was battered with 20 rounds of fighting,” Jumblat said in a statement.
Full StoryProgressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Monday urged the army and the security forces to be firm in drawing an end to the “abnormal situation” in the northern city of Tripoli, praising also civil society's efforts to restore stability in the North.
"The state and the security and military bodies' firmness is required now more than ever to draw an end to the abnormal situation in Tripoli, because of which many innocent people have been killed,” Jumblat said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website.
Full StoryProgressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat announced Sunday that he and Speaker Nabih Berri will take part in Monday's national dialogue session at the Baabda Palace.
“We thoroughly discussed the Arab and regional developments,” Jumblat said after meeting Berri at the speaker's headquarters in Ain al-Tineh. He was accompanied by Health Minister Wael Abou Faour.
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