Mustaqbal, Kataeb Adhere to Geagea's Candidacy for Presidency
The March 14 alliance is carrying out consultations among its factions to guarantee the success of its candidate for the presidential elections and to avert any possible vacuum at the helm of the country's most important Christian post, local newspapers reported on Saturday.
According to al-Joumhouria newspaper, al-Mustaqbal movement chief Saad Hariri's envoy former MP Ghattas Khoury held separate talks on Friday with the head of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, and Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel to evaluate the first parliamentary vote and the possible scenarios for the upcoming round.
Sources close to al-Mustaqbal told An Nahar daily that the meeting with Geagea tackled all the available options regarding the presidential polls and the necessity to end any vacuum.
The sources stressed that al-Mustaqbal movement is exerting efforts to press the staging of the presidential elections within the constitutional deadline as the March 14 coalition is “holding on to its candidate.”
March 14 sources told An Nahar that “Geagea is still the alliance's sole choice.”
Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi, who is also the deputy chief of the Kataeb party, told al-Joumhouria newspaper that “the party supports Geagea for the presidency despite the fact that Gemayel's candidacy remains an option.”
Last week, March 14 leaders convened at the Center House and declared Geagea as their candidate for presidency.
Wednesday's first round of parliamentary deliberations to vote for a new president failed to elect a president after no candidate secured the two-thirds of the votes needed to win and many lawmakers cast blank ballots and then left the parliament hall, leading to a lack of quorum.
The parliament will hold a second vote on April 30, in which the winning candidate will need only a simple majority of 65 votes.
H.K.
D.A.
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