Search
Search

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Army Chief remains our candidate: Joumblatt

Walid Joumblatt emphasized the "opportunity" presented by Thursday's voting session, stating that Lebanon should not miss it and risk "entering the unknown."

Army Chief remains our candidate: Joumblatt

Walid Jumblatt, during the interview on Monday evening on LBC. (Credit: NNA)

Former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Walid Joumblatt reaffirmed in an interview with LBC on Monday evening that the army chief Joseph Aoun remains the PSP bloc's presidential candidate, chaired by his son Taymour. "We know the background of the army chief," he emphasized, insisting on the necessity of consensus around his name.

"It is crucial to elect a president in the first round because if we wait to do so after the takeover by U.S. President Donald Trump, it would be a fatal mistake. Lebanon can no longer afford delays, and it would enter into the unknown," he said. "There is no ideal candidate, and the notion of a strong president is a dire memory. Let us agree on a unifying president around constants, such as the truce (with Israel, Editor's Note), relations with Syria, and other essential issues," he added.

Read more

After the Saudis, Hochstein throws his weight behind Joseph Aoun

Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022, and Thursday's voting session is the first organized in over a year. The army chief Joseph Aoun is the most prominent candidate, although he still does not have unanimous support at this stage.

According to Walid Joumblatt, after the presidential election and "when the new government is formed, it will be necessary to work on the reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund."

Include Fighters in the Army

Questioned about Hezbollah, the Druze leader stated that it should not be considered defeated during the last war with Israel and that Lebanon must move beyond the winner and loser mentality. For him, it is crucial to respect the lives lost during this conflict but also recognize internal flaws and accept the new regional situation. For him, Iran has not abandoned Hezbollah, but its military contribution has been challenged by American technological advances.

Mr. Joumblatt expressed little favor for the recent comments by Hezbollah's secretary-general Naïm Kassem and the foreign relations official Wafic Safa, on continuing resistance and attacks against the leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea. "We must strengthen the state and include this wide section that fought within the army, just as we managed to incorporate the militias into institutions in the 1990s," he estimated. "It is necessary for Hezbollah to transform into a political party," he added.

Discussing daily Israeli violations in southern Lebanon, he expressed concern about the possibility of an extended Israeli presence in the South. Joumblatt declared himself "hostile to peace with Israel," emphasizing that the struggle's spirit must be passed on to future generations.

"Optimistic"

The former deputy spoke at length about his visit to Syria on Dec. 22, where he met the new Syrian leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, whom he described as "a statesman."

"The first decision I made after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime was to visit Damascus," he specified, noting that he only discussed this decision with the Druze sheikh. Considering that certain Arab regimes might threaten the new power in Syria, he advocated giving it time, especially as Israelis continue to destroy all Syrian military infrastructures.

And added: "There is today a new Syria and a free people. It's one of the rare times I feel optimistic. And in Lebanon, we shouldn't miss this opportunity."

Former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Walid Joumblatt reaffirmed in an interview with LBC on Monday evening that the army chief Joseph Aoun remains the PSP bloc's presidential candidate, chaired by his son Taymour. "We know the background of the army chief," he emphasized, insisting on the necessity of consensus around his name."It is crucial to elect a...