Aoun Discusses Presidential Developments with al-Rahi
Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun held phone talks Tuesday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, state-run National News Agency reported.
“Aoun lauded al-Rahi's stances and it was an occasion to discuss the latest developments regarding the presidential juncture,” NNA said.
Al-Rahi has recently reiterated his rejection of imposing any “preconditions” on any presidential candidate or the president-elect, while urging the parliamentary blocs to “clearly announce” their stances on the nominations.
Ties between al-Rahi and Speaker Nabih Berri had also witnessed tensions in recent days in the wake of the patriarch's announcement that any candidate who has “dignity” cannot accept a so-called package deal that has been proposed by the parliament speaker.
Recent media reports have said that Berri is willing to accept “half a package deal” involving agreements on the electoral law, the oil exploration file and the finance and energy ministries in return for backing Aoun's presidential bid.
Ex-PM Saad Hariri's recent return to Lebanon has triggered a flurry of rumors and media reports about a possible presidential settlement and the possibility that the former premier has decided to endorse Aoun for the presidency in a bid to break the presidential deadlock.
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, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman 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 presidential bid argue 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.
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