Berri: Le Drian didn't rule out Franjieh's election, dialogue also an Arab, int'l demand

French Special Presidential Envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian has not proposed a third-man solution, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said.

Berri told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, in remarks published Friday, that he and Le Drian are on the same wavelength, denying media reports that had claimed that both candidates, Suleiman Franjieh and Jihad Azour, will not be elected.

Local media reports had also said that Le Drian had tacitly proposed the election as president of Army chief General Joseph Aoun in his meetings with Lebanese officials.

Le Drian is visiting Lebanon to resume "his good offices mission, initiated last July, in coordination with the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt," the French Embassy in Beirut said.

He met with all the political players in charge of electing a president, including Berri, to discuss "the priority projects to be addressed by the next President, in order to facilitate the emergence of a consensual solution that will end the institutional crisis."

Before leaving Friday, he met again with Berri. The two had previously met on wednesday, upon Le Drian's arrival to Beirut and Berri said he is awaiting a feedback from Le Drian after he ends of his meetings, to act accordingly.

Berri and Le Drian had both called for a dialogue in September. On August 31, Berri called on the Lebanese parties to engage in seven days of dialogue in parliament prior to going to open-ended electoral sessions to choose a new president. His initiative was rejected by most of the opposition MPs and was eventually criticized by Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil, while Le Drian hoped that Berri's initiative would pave the way for a solution.

Berri said after he met Le Drian on Wednesday that Le Drian supported his dialogue initiative and agreed with him that there is no other way but dialogue to end the presidential crisis.

"Dialogue is not only Le Drian's wish, it is also an Arab and international demand and the only solution to the crisis," Berri said.

Before leaving Beirut, Le Drian called caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and both assured that Le Drian's talks in Lebanon were "positive" regarding the "imminent election of a president."

Local media reports said Friday that Le Drian will return to Beirut within days to hold a meeting at the Pine residence. The meeting will discuss the responses that Le Drian received from the Lebanese political parties to a letter he had sent via the French embassy, in which he asked MPs about the required qualifications of the future president.