Report: Diplomats See Flaws in how Hariri's Initiative was Proposed

Efforts to adopt the initiative to end the political and presidential deadlock in Lebanon, which was proposed by Mustaqbal Movement leader MP Saad Hariri, will be postponed to the new year as various ambassadors in Lebanon prepare to head on vacation for the upcoming holidays, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Tuesday.

French, American, and Saudi Arabian diplomatic contacts in recent days “concluded that the manner in which Hariri's initiative was unveiled was flawed,” said the daily.

They stressed the need to “rectify it, either by convincing those who oppose it to go ahead with it or to come up with a new presidential candidate.”

“During their recent talks with Lebanese officials, various diplomats expressed their belief that Hariri's proposal has somewhat failed, seeing as the majority of these ambassadors will return home for the holidays,” explained the daily.

Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the term of Michel Suleiman ended without the election of successor.

Ongoing disputes between the rival March 8 and 14 camps over a compromise candidate have thwarted the polls.

Recent efforts to end the vacuum saw Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh emerge as a candidate as part of a greater settlement that would revitalize the political scene in the country.

The proposal, launched by Hariri, has however been met with the reservations of the Lebanese Forces, Kataeb Party, and the Free Patriotic Movement.

The 33rd session to elect a president will be held on Wednesday amid predictions that it will meet the fate of its predecessors.

M.T.

D.A.