WallyJumblat
...
Druze politician, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, who's been on every side in Leb at least four times. He'll sell you his friends for a dollar, but family comes higher because of shipping and handling...announced on Thursday his support for nominating Beirut MP Tammam Salam for premiership, stating that he will not take part in any one-sided government.
"I have picked Mr. Tammam Salam and I have contacted him," Jumblat said in an interview on LBCI television.
He added: "He is the son of a historic, moderate family and I hope he will be positively received by everyone".
Jumblat remarked: "I don't want to say that (al-Mustaqbal
... the Future Movement, political party led by Saad Hariri...
Movement head MP) Saad Hariri
Second son of Rafik Hariri, the Leb PM who was assassinated in 2005. He has was prime minister in his own right from 2009 through early 2011. He was born in Riyadh to an Iraqi mother and graduated from Georgetown University. He managed his father's business interests in Riyadh until his father's assassination. When his father died he inherited a fortune of some $4.1 billion, which won't do him much good if Hizbullah has him bumped off, too.
was dismayed when I proposed Salam, but his response was tepid, and when I contacted Hizbullah, they had the same response".
He elaborated that he was asked by Hizbullah whether he had another candidate: "I said no, because he hails from a moderate family and he has never said a single bad word against the Resistance
That'd be the Hezbullies, natch...
"I'm still a centrist and when I allowed myself to name Tammam Salam, I named the historically centrist political dynasty," Jumblat stated.
"There is an MP who maybe liked my centrist position and he might be among our ranks during consultations tomorrow and I'm not talking about (Democratic Party leader MP) Prince Talal (Arslan)".
He revealed Hariri's pick for premiership, however, was former Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi.
"I told Hariri that Rifi is a confrontational candidate".
MP Salam is most likely to become the head of the next cabinet, after the March 14 forces announced earlier on Thursday that they have chosen him as their nominee for premiership.
"The politicians of the alliance and of Jamaa Islamiya will officially inform President Michel Suleiman
...before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Leb Armed Forces. That was after the previous commander, the loathesome Emile Lahoud, took office as president in November of 1998. Likely the next president of Leb will be whoever's commander of the armed forces, too...
about their candidate during Friday's parliamentary consultations," said al-Mustaqbal bloc head MP Fouad Saniora after a March 14 broad meeting at the Center House which was exclusively dedicated to discussing this issue.