Hariri to 'Give Himself More Time' before Declaring Support of Aoun

by Naharnet Newsdesk 16 October 2016, 08:59

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri will take his time before declaring support for Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun's presidential nomination and will not make any move before finishing all his internal and external consultations that aim to “explore all opinions, risks and repercussions,” Mustaqbal sources have said.

“Hariri is not confining his efforts to the FPM's internal agenda or any juncture that the FPM considers to be important such as the October 13 commemorations,” the sources told An Nahar newspaper in remarks published Sunday.

The sources however underlined that Hariri is “very serious in his initiative and has made major progress in his communication with Aoun.”

“But he is still contemplating the issue and giving himself more time to ripen his initiative,” the sources added.

Hariri's “official endorsement” of Aoun “is not expected to happen in the near future,” the sources noted, pointing out that “there is still plenty of time left before the October 31 electoral session, which allows the completion of all internal and external consultations and contacts.”

The sources also said that “Hariri's endorsement of Aoun's nomination cannot be complete and will not lead to Aoun's election unless it enjoys the approval of the parliament speaker (Nabih Berri) who is still the obligatory gateway for holding any fruitful electoral session.”

Aoun's chances to be elected president have largely surged in recent days and Education Minister Elias Bou Saab of the FPM announced Sunday that Hariri has officially decided to endorse Aoun's presidential bid.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, 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.

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.

The supporters of 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.