Report: Durel relays to Hezbollah Saudi positivity on Franjieh election

French presidential adviser Patrick Durel contacted Hezbollah last weekend and reassured it that “Riyadh has shown positivity towards the election as president of Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh,” a media report said.

“In return, Durel received similar positive signs from Hezbollah about accepting any premier that Saudi Arabia would choose to lead the government,” al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Friday.

In this regard, a senior political party official revealed to the daily that “France has become the direct mediator between Hezbollah and Saudi Arabia” and that “Hezbollah stressed to the French mediator the need not to be strict in the negotiations with Riyadh, as part of the party’s inclination to show the needed positivity in order to finalize the presidential election.”

“This positive course, which has not become public until the moment, indicates that the presidential vote will be held within two months at the latest,” the senior political official added.