Lebanese party head Walid Jumblatt resigns saying he had become ‘part of history’

Prominent Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt on Thursday announced his resignation as head of the Progressive Socialist Party, saying he had become “part of history and the past.”

The 73-year-old Druze leader’s party has held a pivotal position in Lebanese political life since its establishment in 1949.

His shock decision to step down comes as his son, Taymour, gradually takes over the party reins.

Jumblatt said he wanted to “make way for the new generation. I have become part of history and the past, while the future belongs to Taymour and his vision.”

In making his announcement, the former militia commander called for a general election conference on June 25 in line with the party’s constitution and internal regulations.

His move to voluntarily step aside is rare among Lebanese leaders who were part of the country’s civil war and have continued to hold political

positions assumed when the conflict ended.

Jumblatt inherited the party’s leadership from his father, Kamal, who was assassinated on March 16, 1977, and led the party during the darkest stages of the war.

The Progressive Socialist Party is currently represented in the Lebanese Parliament by the Democratic Gathering bloc, which is headed by Jumblatt’s son — who is tipped to assume the party presidency through elections — and consists of nine MPs. In 2017, on the commemoration of his party founder father’s death, Jumblatt took the symbolic step of handing over the leadership mantle to his son by donning the abaya (traditional garment) for him.