Hariri Meets Hollande: Mustaqbal Won't Take Part in Parliamentary Polls without New President

Head of the Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri held talks on Tuesday with French President Francois Hollande in Paris on the latest local and regional developments.

The former premier said after the meeting at the Elysee Palace that the presidential elections should take place before parliamentary ones.

“The Mustaqbal Movement will not participate in the parliamentary polls should they be held in light of the presidential vacuum,” he declared before reporters.

“We seek the election of a president as soon as possible,” Hariri stressed.

The two leaders tackled bilateral ties and the Saudi Arabian grant to the Lebanese army.

“I thanked Hollande for his concern over the situation in Lebanon and he stressed that France is always keen on the country,” added Hariri.

Asked about French aid to the Lebanese army, he remarked: “France will deliver weapons to Lebanon and we believe it will happen. We will see in upcoming days.”

“There are no obstacles regarding the grant and we have achieved progress in this issue,” he continued.

An announcement related to this case will be made within a week to ten days, said the Mustaqbal Movement chief.

In September, Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil held separate meetings with Hollande on the sidelines of the 69th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

France is currently discussing with Lebanon the delivery of arms to the Lebanese military under a $3 billion Saudi grant.

M.T.

H.K.