Report: Hariri Could Hold Talks with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Salman

Al-Mustaqbal Movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri might visit Saudi Arabia in the next few days to hold talks with Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed Bin Salman, al-Akhbar daily reported on Monday.

Hariri had visited Saudi Arabia last week before returning to Paris. He did not hold meetings with any of the Saudi officials, added the daily.

March 8 camp officials told the newspaper that the “positions of Hariri and Saudi Arabia have not changed with regard to the presidency in Lebanon.”

“Hariri has not received a new Saudi signal in that regard,” added the sources.

“Hariri knows the pulse of his street. He is convinced that he could lose a lot if he supports the nomination of (Change and Reform bloc head Michel) Aoun, at a time when some are working from within the Mustaqbal movement’s ranks to make him lose his supporters,” added the sources.

Hariri, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

Reports emerged lately claiming that efforts were underway and that Hariri could change his mind and endorse Aoun for the presidency.

The reports were dubbed as untrue by Mustaqbal officials.

The supporters of founder of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun's presidential bid argue that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.