Jumblatt waits for Christians and Riyadh to take final stance on presidential elections

The leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, is facing difficulty in taking a final stance on the presidential elections.

This article was originally published in, translated from the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.

After failing to convince political parties to elect a consensus candidate and confirming that Hezbollah and Amal Movement are backing Sleiman Frangieh, the head of the Marada party, Jumblatt is back to waiting as local, regional, and international events continue to unfold.

However, political sources have revealed that Jumblatt "still refuses to ignore the rejection of Christian forces for Frangieh, considering these groups as essential partners in the reconciliation of his region. Therefore, if a settlement is reached to elect a president that Christians reject, it may have significant implications in his region, which is unnecessary." 

In addition, "the Saudi stance is still undecided regarding the French proposal," which prevents Jumblatt from joining any side of the conflict.

Sources also revealed that "Jumblatt conveyed this position to French officials during his recent visit to Paris in the presence of his son, MP Teymour Jumblatt, and emphasized the dilemma of the Christian position of rejection."

The same sources confirmed that "the great confusion that afflicts the MPs of the Socialist party is caused by the pragmatism of Jumblatt on the one hand and the firmness of his son on the other hand."

Furthermore, the sources confirmed the absence of "high-level communication between the Socialist Party and the Forces."

They also pointed out the discomfort of several parties, including the Socialist Party, with the inability to communicate with any Saudi official except for the head of the intelligence agency, Khaled Al-Humaidan, and the advisor to the Royal Court, Nizar Al-Aloula, which prevents the transmission of a clear Saudi position on the French proposal.