Bassil Meets Berri, Hopes Aoun's Nomination by Geagea Will Speed up Election of President
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil described on Tuesday Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's nomination of Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun as president as a “breakthrough” in Lebanon.
He remarked after holding talks with Speaker Nabih Berri: “We are witnessing a breakthrough, which we hope will speed up the election of a president and we hope our allies will support us.”
“We hope that all sides will take advantage of this breakthrough,” he told reporters at Berri's Ain el-Tineh residence.
“The nomination will help us resolve disputes,” hoped the minister.
Geagea announced on Monday his nomination of his old rival Aoun for the presidency, ending weeks of speculation on the matter.
Observers saw the nomination as a response to Mustaqbal Movement leader MP Saad Hariri's nomination of Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh as president.
Geagea was a presidential candidate of the March 14 camp, which Hariri is a member of.
Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of a successor.
Numerous electoral sessions were scheduled, all but one were held due to a lack of quorum at parliament over the dispute over a consensual nominee.
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