LF Says 'Real Progress' in Presidency Talks with Mustaqbal, Kataeb
There is “real progress” in the ongoing efforts to end the presidential vacuum and talks are “serious” with al-Mustaqbal Movement and the Kataeb Party in this regard, a top Lebanese Forces official announced on Sunday.
“Hizbullah is required to practically support General Michel Aoun's presidential nomination through convincing the March 8 camp to secure quorum” at the parliament, LF media officer Melhem Riachi said in an interview on MTV.
“We have communicated with Saudi Arabia regarding Aoun's nomination and we were informed that it does not have a veto on any presidential candidate,” Riachi added.
He also noted that the LF does not have any disputes with Mustaqbal and that there is “daily” communication between the two parties.
As for the so-called “package deal” that has been proposed by Speaker Nabih Berri, Riachi stressed that “for the LF, there is no package deal, but rather the priority of electing a president and committing to the democratic process.”
“It is normal that our candidate for the premiership is ex-PM Saad Hariri,” he added.
He noted, however, that Mustaqbal “has the right to reject Aoun's presidential nomination” while pointing out that “Aoun has a larger popular base than (Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman) Franjieh in the Christian arena.”
“LF leader Samir Geagea contacted former president Amin Gemayel two weeks ago and I met with Kataeb chief Sami Gemayel after the phone call,” Riachi revealed, stressing that “there is continuous communication with Kataeb” and that LF deputy chief MP George Adwan is discussing the issue of the electoral law with Kataeb's leader.
Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.
Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.
Hariri's move prompted Geagea to endorse the nomination of Aoun, his long-time Christian rival.
The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.
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