Aoun to call for PM consultations next week as Miqati remains leading candidate

There are "clear indications" that caretaker PM Najib Miqati will be re-appointed as premier with more than 65 votes from a host of parliamentary blocs, political sources said.

Miqati might garner "70 votes," even without receiving any vote from the Free Patriotic Movement, the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party and the so-called "change forces," the sources told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Sunday.

Until the moment, Miqati has the support of Hizbullah, the Amal Movement, the Democratic Gathering, the Independent National Gathering, the Tashnag Party and "a significant number of independent or formerly pro-Mustaqbal MPs," the sources added.

"The LF and some allied MPs will name their own candidate, while the change forces are seeking to agree on one candidate. The FPM is also trying to choose someone other than Miqati, after the latter stressed his rejection of any preconditions," the daily quoted informed sources as saying.

Miqati's rejection of "preconditions" has "dashed the hopes of FPM chief Jebran Bassil as to imposing conditions that would improve his position in the new government," the sources added.

Informed sources meanwhile told the daily that President Michel Aoun will next week call for the binding parliamentary consultations to name a new premier and that the consultations will be held in the week that follows.