Naharnet

Jumblat Heads to Paris for Talks with Hollande

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Sunday traveled to the French capital Paris for talks with President Francois Hollande.

"Jumblat has left Beirut for Paris," state-run National News Agency reported in the afternoon.

An Nahar newspaper reported Sunday morning that Jumblat had received an official invitation to visit France from Hollande.

The daily said that the meeting will tackle the latest developments in Lebanon and the ongoing presidential stalemate.

Jumblat will reportedly seek support for his presidential candidate Democratic Gathering MP Henri Helou.

The PSP leader has repeatedly stressed that he will not endorse the nomination of Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun or Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea for presidency.

He also rejects withdrawing the candidacy of Helou “in favor of the Central Bank chief or Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji.”

On June 20, the Druze leader held talks with Former Prime Minister and al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri.

The two officials stressed during their Paris meeting on the “necessity to strengthen joint action” to secure holding the pending constitutional junctures.

The PSP chief also held talks with former President Michel Suleiman.

Suleiman left office on May 25 without a successor to lead the state in the coming six years, as differences between the March 14 and the March 8 alliances prevented the election of a new president.


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