Helou Says Nomination to Continue 'as Long as It's Beneficial for Country'

MP Henri Helou, a member of MP Walid Jumblat's Democratic Gathering bloc, announced Wednesday that his presidential nomination will continue “as long as it is beneficial for the country's interest.”

In a statement, Helou said his final decision will be announced at the appropriate time.

And in what he described as “an oath before the oath of office,” the MP pledged that he would “preserve freedom and democracy” in Lebanon and would “fiercely confront corruption.”

“Corruption is an enemy that is not less dangerous than the other enemies of the Lebanese entity,” he said.

After initially endorsing Helou's nomination, Jumblat shifted his support for Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh after the latter was endorsed by ex-PM Saad Hariri in late 2015.

But after Hariri formally endorsed the presidential nomination of Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun on Thursday, Jumblat has voiced support for what he described as a “settlement” and several members of his bloc are expected to vote for Aoun.

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 had launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Hizbullah's ally 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 nomination have argued 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.