'Friendly' Meeting between Aoun, LF Delegates as Both Parties Agree to Attend Wednesday's Parliament Session
A Lebanese Forces delegation met with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Saturday afternoon, and handed him over a copy of the LF leader's presidential program.
The delegation included MPs Sethrida Geagea, Joseph al-Maalouf, Fadi Karam, former minister Toni Karam and member of the party's Executive Committee Eddy Abi al-Lamaa.
MTV provided late on Saturday details on the “friendly” meeting between Aoun and the LF delegates.
It reported that the talks started with MP Geagea handing over the presidential program to Aoun, with a greeting from LF leader Samir Geagea.
"We hope that you would support his candidacy,” Sethrida Geagea told Aoun, who responded with a smile, according to MTV.
The FPM leader told Geagea that the final decision on whether he will run for office or not will be announced on Tuesday, after his Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting.
"My presidential program is focused only on securing stability,” Aoun remarked.
The meeting ended with both parties agreeing on attending Wednesday's parliamentary session, and on supporting a “strong candidate who has a clear program.”
MP Geagea assured Aoun that the LF will be “the first to congratulate him if he wins in the presidential race, and that the party will stand by whomever becomes president.”
"I will also be the first to congratulate Geagea if he takes office,” Aoun responded, according to the same source.
LF officials have been holding talks with different parties and leaders in the country to hand them over LF leader Geagea's presidential program, and to discuss the upcoming elections.
LF sources told MTV on Friday that a meeting with Hizbullah officials will be requested for the same purpose as well.
"We will request an appointment to meet with Hizbullah officials as well but we are not sure they will be responsive. But we are going to do what we have to do," the sources said.
MTV said on Saturday that LF MP George Adwan is the person tasked with contacting Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal party over this matter.
On Wednesday, Geagea announced a presidential program that focused on “restoring the authority of the state against the proliferation of weapons during a time of regional unrest.”
The LF chief also called for a state monopoly on the use of force, including confronting Israel.
He is the sole politician to have officially announced his candidacy for the polls, which are first scheduled to be held on April 23.
Speaker Nabih Berri called on MPs to meet next Wednesday, although the election is not expected to be an easy process amid a lack of agreement on a consensual candidate.
President Michel Suleiman's six-year tenure ends on May 25.
S.D.B.
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