Jumblat Meets Aoun, Confirms Most Members of His Bloc Will Vote for Him

Free Patriotic Movement founder and leading presidential candidate MP Michel Aoun met Friday evening in Beirut with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and Prime Minister Tammam Salam.

After the brief meeting in Clemenceau, Jumblat announced his support for Aoun's nomination, noting that "most members of the Democratic Gathering and the PSP will vote for General Aoun although there might be some objections."

"After two and a half years of vacuum, it's about time we overcame this dilemma," Jumblat added.

And while noting that the looming president seems to be "made in Lebanon," the PSP leader pointed out that "regional and international circumstances" have contributed to the breakthrough.

"We wish him success and we will be alongside him for the sake of Lebanon's interest," Jumblat added.

Aoun meanwhile said: "We talked about the future during my presidential tenure and we will cooperate to build Lebanon and improve social conditions and national unity."

He also thanked Jumblat for endorsing his nomination.

FPM chief Jebran Bassil accompanied Aoun to Jumblat's residence in Clemenceau.

Presidential candidate MP Henri Helou, a member of Jumblat's Democratic Gathering bloc, took part in the talks.

MTV meanwhile reported Helou is expected to withdraw his nomination after a Saturday meeting for the Democratic Gathering.

Quoting well-informed sources, al-Joumhouria newspaper had reported Friday that Jumblat has told Bassil that eight member of his bloc out of eleven will vote in favor of Aoun.

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 Aoun's nomination last week, Jumblat voiced support for what he described as a “settlement.”

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 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.