The head of the "Democratic Gathering" bloc, MP Taimour Jumblatt, urged some parties to stop burdening Lebanon with unsustainable pressures amid the accumulated crises that have exhausted all Lebanese without exception. He emphasized that protecting Lebanon's wealth should not involve exposing it to further dangers but rather should be achieved through a united national effort that approaches all challenges and files with seriousness, determination, and decisiveness, in order to safeguard the last opportunity for rescue, which lies in reforms and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, as well as measures that provide citizens with a different path from the ongoing downward trajectory. Jumblatt stressed the need to expedite the formation of the government and subsequently elect a new president to kick-start the necessary reform and rescue efforts. He highlighted the importance of giving adequate attention to social programs, whether those already launched or those awaiting funding, such as the financial aid card. These programs alone could alleviate some of the suffering faced by citizens exposed to worsening conditions, and he called on the Parliament to approve laws that contribute to this effort, especially the draft general budget.
During a meeting with a delegation from municipal unions and mayors in the Shouf region, which took place during Saturday receptions at the Muktara Palace, Jumblatt called for "granting municipalities their legitimate rights and financial dues from the independent municipal fund without further delay, for the sake of the people and institutions amid the harsh conditions the country is facing."
Furthermore, both George Makhoul, president of the Southern Chouf Federation, and Yihya Abu Karoum, on behalf of the federations and municipalities, requested that MP Jumblatt intervene with the Ministry of Finance to release dues from the past three years, including development projects for medium and small municipalities and social assistance for employees, in order to maintain the overall trajectory of municipalities and their effective role in filling the gaps left by absent ministries. Jumblatt tasked member of the Democratic Gathering, MP Bilal Abdullah, who participated in the meeting, with following up on the issue with the Ministry of Finance and relevant authorities to secure municipalities' rights. Other MPs from the grouping including Akram Shehayyeb, Hadi Abu al-Hassan, Wael Abu Faour, and the Secretary-General of the Progressive Socialist Party, Zafer Nasser, also attended meetings with other delegations, including one from the families and notables of the Abu Latif and Abu Al-Azz families in the town of Aihai (Rachaya District), which presented concerns to MP Jumblatt and requested his intervention on their behalf. There was also a delegation from the Ahmad family, the Saigh family, and the Damascus family in the town of Sharon seeking assistance with their health and social needs, along with family delegations from the villages of Hasrout, Daria, and Anout in the Chouf region, and a delegation from the "Rubuana Social Charity" for special needs in Aley and "Economic Development in the Mountain" to present the role that Rubuana plays and to ensure continued support for its services.
Additionally, MP Jumblatt met with a delegation from the Lebanese University’s Faculty of Technology, which included Dean Dr. Mohamed Hajjjar, manager of the Abee branch Osama Ghobar, manager of the Sidon branch Dr. Mahmoud Abbas, and representative of the faculty Dr. Sarah Abu Shaqra. The delegation requested Jumblatt's intervention with the Ministry of Education to help resolve outstanding issues; Jumblatt assigned MPs Shehayyeb and Walid Safi to follow up on these demands. He also met with a delegation from the town of Biqoun in Shouf, alongside the "My Heart is Biqoun" Association, to discuss developmental and public service demands for the town, and with the Zain al-Din family from Batma.
Moreover, he engaged with several youth delegations, including the "Chouf Festivals Committee" chaired by Nidal Shaaban to inform him about summer activities and invite him to open the upcoming summer festivals on August 12 in the town of Shuhim. Another visit came from the Al-Ta'adou Club in Mazraat al-Shouf, which presented Jumblatt with the trophy from a sports tournament organized by the Progressive Youth Organization’s Samqaniyeh branch for football, updating him on the summer activity calendar and requesting his sponsorship for the club's upcoming sports festival in Chouf and the Chouf region next month. From the Arqoub district of the Progressive Socialist Party, there was a request for his sponsorship and participation in an environmental-sportive activity and walking path in the Chouf Cedar Reserve. Jumblatt received a series of inquiries from various family, civic, and youth delegations.
