Report: Saudi Arabia Advises Lebanese to Turn to Consensual Presidential Candidates

Saudi Arabia has reportedly renewed its rejection of the election of Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun as president, said As Safir newspaper on Saturday.

Lebanese diplomatic sources told the daily that Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal had informed United Nations Special Representative to Lebanon Derek Plumbly of this stance during the latter's recent visit to the kingdom.

Faisal had urged Lebanese officials to turn their attention to the election of a consensual candidate, instead of one of the main Maronite leaders of Aoun, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh, and Kataeb Party head Amin Gemayel.

The sources revealed that Plumbly's trip to Saudi Arabia is part of efforts he had kicked off in New York, Washington, and Paris in order to resolve the presidential deadlock in Lebanon.

The U.N. official is expected to travel to the Iranian capital Tehran to hold further talks on this issue, said As Safir.

The sources expected a possible breakthrough in the file given the recent rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

They added however that the breakthrough “may not take place in the near future.”

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May.

Disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a consensual candidate have thwarted the election of a president.

The majority of March 8 parliamentary blocs have boycotted the elections sessions over the dispute.

Aoun has said that he would be willing to run in the polls if there was agreement over him, while Geagea, a candidate himself, has accused the March 8 alliance of blackmailing the March 14 camp into electing the FPM chief.

M.T.

D.A.