Hariri to Meet Hollande Next Week, Discuss Political Deadlock

Head of al-Mustaqbal Movement and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri is expected to meet with French President Francois Hollande next week, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Thursday.

According to the daily, the meeting, which will be held on Tuesday in Paris, will tackle the ongoing political deadlock in Lebanon.

Lebanon has been without a president since May when the tenure of Michel Suleiman ended.

Parliament has been unable to legislate over the boycott of several blocs, including the March 14 alliance's lawmakers and Change and Reform MPs. The paralysis is linked to the presidential deadlock.

The majority of the March 8 alliance's MPs have been causing a lack of quorum in sessions aimed at electing a president, leaving the country without a head of state.

In September, Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil held separate meetings with Hollande on the sidelines of the 69th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

France is currently discussing with Lebanon the delivery of arms to the Lebanese military under a $3 billion Saudi grant.

H.K.

M.T.