Gemayel Meets Suleiman as Part of Kataeb Initiative to End Presidential Deadlock

Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel held talks on Tuesday with outgoing President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda Palace.

He left the Baabda Palace without making any statement.

Gemayel said later in comments to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) that his visit to Suleiman comes before the president's tenure ends.

“We are preparing to carry out the presidential elections on time... as we have no other option,” he added.

The Kataeb leader warned that vacuum would create imbalance and demolish the national pact and stability between the factions of the nation.

On Monday, the Christian official met with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.

Gemayel has met with several leaders in the country in the past week as part of his initiative to resolve the presidential deadlock.

He has held talks so far with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, Marada movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat.

“The presidential elections are a national responsibility,” Gemayel said from Bkirki.

The ongoing disagreement between the March 8 and 14 camps is raising fears that they will fail to elect a president before May 25, resulting in vacuum in the country's top post.

The first presidential elections session was held on April 23, but neither Geagea nor Democratic Gathering MP Henri Helou garnered the necessary 86 votes to emerge victorious.

Two other sessions were supposed to be held, but they failed over lack of quorum after a March 8 camp boycott over the ongoing disagreement over a candidate.

The fourth session is scheduled for May 15.

H.K.

M.T.