Jumblat Travels to Undisclosed Destination, Cancels Meetings with Gemayel and Geagea

Progressive Socialist Party Leader Walid Jumblat postponed his upcoming meetings with senior Lebanese officials after he surprisingly left Beirut.

Al-Liwaa newspaper, published on Tuesday, said that the destination of Jumblat is unknown, despite rumors saying that he headed to the French capital Paris for talks with al-Mustaqbal chief Saad Hariri.

The Druze leader was compelled to canceled his meetings with Kataeb Party chief Amin Gemayel and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.

Jumblat kicked off recently a tour on Maronite leaders as part of his efforts to convince the rival leaders to elect a compromise president.

He has so far met with Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh, Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun.

Lebanon's top Christian post was left vacant in May this year when the rival MPs failed to elect a successor to President Michel Suleiman over their differences on a compromise candidate.

The majority of the March 8 alliance's MPs, including Aoun's parliamentary bloc, boycotted the sessions aimed at electing a head of state, causing lack of quorum.

H.K.

M.T.