A political conflict between the Progressive Socialist Party, led by MP Walid Jumblatt, and the Free Patriotic Movement, headed by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, has gone public as the country prepares to hold parliamentary elections on May 6.
Jumblatt, however, is dissociating President Michel Aoun from his harsh criticism of Bassil and the FPM, touching on issues ranging between electricity generating ships and the upcoming parliamentary polls, which will see a tense rivalry between the two parties in the Chouf-Aley constituency, as well as in other regions.
In this regard, political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the electoral understanding between the FPM and Minister Talal Arslan led to the escalation of the dispute between the FPM and the PSP, forcing the latter’s leader to issue a series of tweets, criticizing Bassil’s policies and directives.
The electoral battle in the Chouf-Aley district is likely to witness a confrontation between four lists, particularly between the Recoiliation List headed by Taymour Jumblatt, and the list formed by Arslan and the FPM, in addition to another list led by former Minister Wiam Wahhab and a fourth list formed by representatives of the civil society.
Meanwhile, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that disagreements between the PSP and the FPM might mark the next stage of the political life, in the wake of Bassil’s efforts to impose his policies and projects in the Chouf Mountain, hence directly entering into Jumblatt’s stronghold, which will have negative repercussions at many levels.
In this regard, member of the PSP and the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc, MP Nehmeh Tohme, said that his party would not engage in any political confrontation or escalation with any side, in order to guarantee the holding of democratic elections, in which the Lebanese people freely choose their representatives.
