Geagea Meets Hariri in Paris as Jumblat Flies to French Capital

Lebanese Forces leader and presidential candidate Samir Geagea held talks Sunday with al-Mustaqbal movement chief MP Saad Hariri in the French capital Paris, amid a flurry of political talks over the stalled presidential vote.

“Ex-PM Hariri is currently meeting Geagea over a lunch banquet in Paris,” Hariri's mouthpiece Future TV announced in the afternoon.

Later on Sunday, Hariri's press office said head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora attended the talks, which continued into the evening.

“The meeting tackled the general situations in the country, especially the pressing issue of the presidential election,” a statement issued by Hariri's office said.

“The viewpoints were identical regarding the need to hold the presidential vote within the constitutional deadline, to reject vacuum and to make all possible and needed efforts and contacts to prevent it,” it added.

The two leaders also stressed the need that “all MPs take part in electoral sessions.”

Meanwhile, LBCI television said the meeting became tense “when Geagea proposed holding the election with a one-half plus one quorum, the thing that was rejected by Hariri.”

“They agreed to hold another meeting,” LBCI added.

It said political talks will continue in Paris “beyond the May 22 electoral session, although Hariri will travel tomorrow to Riyadh to take part in a dinner banquet in honor of (Prime Minister Tammam) Salam.”

On Saturday, An Nahar newspaper said Geagea had met Hariri on Friday as al-Akhbar daily quoted informed sources as saying that Geagea's trip to Paris took place at France's behest in order to discuss the elections and his position on several political and economic affairs, most notably Lebanon's oil wealth.

Two other presidential candidates, who were not named, had also visited France prior to Geagea, the sources revealed.

Geagea embarked on an Arab and European tour on Friday that will reportedly include Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and his aide Health Minister Wael Abou Faour traveled to Paris on Sunday, according to state-run National News Agency.

According to Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3), Jumblat is expected to meet with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal in the French capital.

Parliament has so far failed to elect a new president over differences between the March 8 and 14 alliances.

Most of the March 8 camp's MPs have boycotted four rounds of elections over their call for an agreement on a consensual president and their rejection of the candidacy of Geagea, whose nomination was officially endorsed by the March 14 camp.

A fifth round of polls is scheduled to be held next Thursday, two days before the expiry of President Michel Suleiman's six-year tenure, amid fears that the continued deadlock will plunge the country into a state of total political vacuum.

Y.R.