14/07/2009 In the first meeting of its kind since 2005, the head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt received on Monday evening his "major rival" the head of the Lebanese Tawhid movement former minister Wiam Wahhab.
 
The Progressive Socialist Party of MP Walid Jumblatt issued a statement on Tuesday in which it announced the meeting that came in the framework of openness and dialogue between the various Lebanese factions, stressing on the need to open a new page that consolidates national unity and civil peace.
 
According to the PSP statement, the two Druze leaders discussed during their meeting the latest developments and agreed on the necessity to intensify political efforts to reach national unity and stay away from narrow conflicts and differences.
 
Meanwhile, and in his first reaction to the meeting, former minister Wiam Wahhab described the meeting as good, recalling that his conflict with MP Jumblatt was never a personal one but a merely political one.
 
He called for forming the new cabinet as soon as possible, saying that the road is open for Jumblatt as well as PM-Designate Saad Hariri to visit Damascus.
 
In an exclusive interview with Al-Manar, Wahhab stressed that he was not a mediator between Jumblatt and Syria, adding that the PSP leader doesn't need a mediation with Syria. The Lebanese Tawhid movement leader revealed that he has encouraged Jumblatt during their meeting to resolve his conflict with Jumblatt "in his way."
 
Wahhab emphasized that Syria's roads are open to all Lebanese who believe in Lebanon's unity, enmity to Israel and all those who back the Resistance. He also stressed that he doesn't see any obstacles that might prevent the expected visit by PM-Designate Saad Hariri to Damascus.