Report: Franjieh Met with Nasrallah ahead of Hariri Meeting

Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh had held talks with Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah prior to his talks with Mustaqbal Movement head MP Saad Hariri last week, reported al-Liwaa newspaper on Friday.

Concerned sources told the daily that the MP had informed Nasrallah of the details of his expected talks with Hariri.

The Franjieh-Hariri meeting had sparked intense speculation that they agreed to the nomination of the Marada chief as president.

Sources from Hizbullah denied to the daily that the two officials had addressed the presidential elections seeing as the party's ally, MP Michel Aoun, is a candidate.

Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat had sent his envoy Health Minister Wael Abou Faour to hold talks with Kataeb leader MP Sami Gemayel to inquire about his stance on Franjieh's potential nomination.

An Nahar daily said that Gemayel had opposed his candidacy, despite the good ties he enjoys with the Marada chief.

The MP had demanded however that Suleiman make guarantees on his position on Lebanon's neutrality from regional conflicts and that he would abide by the country's disassociation policy.

Franjieh is allied with Hizbullah, which has been involved in fighting alongside the Syrian regime against the country's rebel uprising.

He is also a personal friend of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

A number of March 14 alliance figures had voiced their opposition to the nomination of Franjieh due to his close ties with Assad.