KSA decides to 'turn blind eye' to Franjieh's election

Saudi Arabia has decided to “turn a blind eye” to the reportedly looming election of Suleiman Franjieh as president, a media report said.

“Riyadh’s stance is leaning to establishing a settlement that would allow Lebanon to cross the collapse phase,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Friday, citing multiple sources.

As for Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari’s ongoing meetings with Lebanese leaders, the daily quoted officials who have met or communicated with Bukhari as saying that the ambassador “has returned to Lebanon with a different approach.”

“In his meetings with the parties that are considered to be Riyadh’s rivals, he seemed more relieved than he was in his meetings with the ‘friends’ camp. He was more cordial with the first camp and his meetings with the second appeared to be merely aimed at informing them of a certain stance,” the officials said.

“After Riyadh previously called for electing a president not belonging to the political class and not involved in corruption, the statements issued after Bukhari’s meetings stressed that the kingdom ‘does not accept the continued presidential vacuum that is threatening the Lebanese people’s stability and unity,’” the officials added.

“This has been interpreted as a response to those threatening to boycott the electoral sessions, specifically the Lebanese Forces party,” the officials went on to say.

Bukhari meanwhile informed certain parties that Riyadh “will not intervene to soften the stance of its friends or to press them to secure political or constitutional quorum,” al-Akhbar said.

“Saudi Arabia does not consider itself obliged to be part of a settlement and it has told its allies that it will not stand in their face if they manage to thwart the French plan but that it will not be a partner in any battle,” the daily’s sources quoted Bukhari as saying in his meetings.

Riyadh’s attention is focused on “the region, Syria, the Arab League and Iran, and Lebanon is a mere detail,” the ambassador reportedly said.

“This practically means that the kingdom has decided not to be a partner in the settlement that Paris wants, but certainly it will not impede it,” the newspaper added.