Suleiman Hosts Meeting for Senior Officials to Discuss Recent Developments

Senior officials held a meeting at the residence of former President Michel Suleiman in Yarze, the state-run National News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The meeting, which was held on Tuesday evening, gathered Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, Prime Minister Tammam Salam, head of al-Mustaqbal Parliamentary bloc Fouad Saniora and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat.

The officials discussed Saudi Arabia's military assistance to the Lebanese army, the importance of staging presidential and parliamentary elections and the security situation in the northeastern town of Arsal.

Last December, Saudi Arabia agreed to finance a $3 billion deal to purchase military equipment and weapons from France for the Lebanese army, which has long complained of being sorely under-equipped.

Clashes erupted over the weekend between the army and Islamist gunmen following the arrest of al-Nusra Front member Imad Ahmed Jomaa.

Lebanon has been without a president since May 25 when Suleiman's six-year term ended amid a failure by parliament to elect a successor over differences on a compromise candidate as a debate rose over the possibility of extending the parliament's term due to the ongoing vacuum.

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