Lebanese politician and Druze leader Walid Joumblatt is on Twitter – and had a hard time proving it really was him.

The account set up on October 27 has attracted about 17,000 followers so far — and a confirmation from the man himself.

Yes it is me

— Walid Joumblatt (@walidjoumblatt) October 27, 2014

Lebanese blogger Mustapha Hamoui quips:

They dispute the authenticity of the @walidjoumblatt account because it's quirky and unconventional… Think of that for a moment — Mustapha Hamoui (@Beirutspring) October 30, 2014

After a three day hiatus after starting the account, the man went on a Twitter storm. To date, he has amassed 666 tweets, all in English, discussing Lebanese and regional politics and other tidbits.