Talal Arslan
Prince Talal Arslan is a Lebanese politician, a direct descendant of Sultan Arslan who repulsed the Crusaders in the twelfth century and founded the principality of Mount Lebanon, the predecessor of the current Lebanese Republic.
He is the son of one of the founders of the Lebanese Republic and former Minister, MP and leader of the Druze , the Emir Magid Arslan. Named deputy in 1991 to the post left vacant since the death of his father, he was elected Druze of Aley in the parliamentary elections held in 1992, 1996 and 2000.
He served as Minister of Tourism between 1990 and 1992 in the government of Omar Karami , Minister of Emigrants between 1995 and 1996 in the government of Rafiq Hariri , Minister of State without portfolio in government between 2000 and Hariri 2004 and Minister of Displaced in the cabinet of Omar Karami between 2004 and April 2005. In July 2008 he became Minister of Youth and Sports in the cabinet of national unity formed by Fouad Siniora at the conclusion of the Doha agreement.
Adopting a nationalist political line since its inception in Lebanese politics, it has long been placed in a position of confrontation with the other Druze leader, Walid Jumblatt , perpetuating a political rivalry between two families dating from the Ottoman era.
He founded in 2002 the Lebanese Democratic Party , which won some cities of Mount Lebanon during the 2004 municipal elections. The program is based on a layperson Lebanon, democratic, political support for the Lebanese resistance (Hezbollah), ecology and nonviolence.
Following the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon in 2005, he took part in parliamentary elections in the aftermath, combined with the Free Patriotic Movement of General Michel Aoun. He failed to get elected against the list of alliance between Walid Jumblatt , the Future Movement , the Lebanese Forces and Hezbollah.
It is now part of the National Conference headed by Omar Karami and involving personalities opposed to the Hariri family.
During the fighting in the Chouf in May 2008, he intervened to stop the fighting and save the lives of the lieutenants of his rival Walid Jumblatt. His moderation was then greeted by the entire Lebanese political class.
Senior Lebanese leader to defend the Christian presence in the Arab World, the Druze politician is also, in a gesture of oeucuemisme, the first political figure of the Arab World to have founded a political party based on non-violence and parochial loyalties, Lebanese Democratic Party (LDP), including two vice-presidents belong to the Christian community, Mr. Marwan Abu Fadel (Orthodox) former MP, co-founder of PDL and son of the late Mr. Mounir Abu Fadel, a former No. 4 of State and Lebanese friend of the late Emir Majid, and Ziad Choueri (Maronite) known figure in the Lebanese media world.
On 7 June 2009 , he ran in parliamentary elections on the list of block reform and change and was elected member of the Druze district of Aley , in Mount Lebanon , the mountain Druze-Christian.
Prince Talal wife Princess Zeina Kheireddine 17 July 1993 and has two children: Prince Majid (born 1994) and Princess Kinda (born 1996).
| Preceded by | Talal Arslan | Followed by |
| Abdallah Racy 1989-1990 |  Lebanon Talal Arslan Minister of Tourism 1990-1992 | Ahmad Sami Minkar 1992 |
| Preceded by | Talal Arslan | Followed by |
| Ali el-Khalil 1995-1996 | Lebanon Talal Arslan Minister of Emigrants 1996-1998 | Salim El-Hoss 1998-2000 |
| Preceded by | Talal Arslan | Followed by |
| Najib Mikati 2004 | Lebanon Talal Arslan Minister of the Displaced 2004-2005 | Adel Hamiy 2005 |
| Preceded by | Talal Arslan | Followed by |
| Ahmad Fatfat 2005-2008 | Lebanon Talal Arslan Minister of Youth and Sports 2008 - | Ali Hussein Abdallah 2009 - |
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