1. Walid Kamal Jumblatt is a Lebanese politician who was the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party from 1977 until 2023.
15 Facts About Walid Jumblatt
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Walid Jumblatt is still active in politics, most recently leading his party, the Progressive Socialist Party in the 2022 Lebanese general election.
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Walid Jumblatt was born in August 1949, the son of the Lebanese Druze PSP's founder Kamal Walid Jumblatt.
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Walid Jumblatt is the maternal grandson of Emir Shakib Arslan.
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Walid Jumblatt graduated from the American University of Beirut with a bachelor's degree in political science and public administration in 1972.
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Walid Jumblatt served as minister of public works, transport and tourism in the National Unity cabinet led by then prime minister Rashid Karami, which was formed in May 1984.
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Walid Jumblatt was a supporter of Syria, but following the death of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in 2000, he campaigned for Damascus to relinquish control.
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Walid Jumblatt believes that the order to kill his father came from Hafez al-Assad.
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Walid Jumblatt said he would rather "commit a political suicide" than reconcile with his son Bashar al-Assad.
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In 2014, Walid Jumblatt declared himself in favor of the legalisation of cannabis in Lebanon.
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In late May 2023, Walid Jumblatt declared his resignation as leader of the Progressive Socialist Party after a 46-year tenure.
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At the age of 20, Walid Jumblatt married an Iranian actress, ten years his senior.
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Walid Jumblatt's father did not endorse the marriage and the two became estranged.
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In 1981, after a divorce and his father's death, Walid Jumblatt married Gervette, a Jordanian of Circassian descent.
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In 2018, his son Taymur Walid Jumblatt replaced him as a candidate for parliamentary elections.