France's special envoy for Lebanon who arrived in Beirut on Wednesday on a "consultative" mission has discussed with Lebanese leaders names of centrist presidential candidates, Nidaa-al Watan said.

The daily reported Friday that Jean-Yves Le Drian has discussed with those he met possible solutions to the impasse, as he asked them if they consider that a centrist candidate might be a solution. Le Drian also asked whether certain presidential candidates are considered centrist, the daily said.

Outgoing Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat is "disgusted" from the presidential impasse, a media report published Friday in al-Liwaa newspaper said.

The report said that Jubmlat has told his visitors that he is pessimistic and is not seeing any light at the end of the presidential tunnel.

The Free Patriotic Movement has mulled referring MPs Elias Bou Saab and Alain Aoun to the Movement’s Council of Elders, which is a body that issues nonbinding recommendations but has major influence, following the two legislators’ decision to refrain from voting for Jihad Azour in the latest presidential election session, a media report said.

The Council of Elders comprises ex-president and FPM founder Michel Aoun, co-founders Khalil Hamadeh and Raya Daouk, the FPM’s former deputy head Roumel Saber, ex-MP Naji Gharios and incumbent MP Nicolas Sehnaoui.

French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday met with MP and ex-presidential candidate Michel Mouawad, Kataeb party leader Sami Gemayel, and other Tajaddod and Kataeb MPs, as he continued his "consultative" mission to push for a solution to the country's presidential deadlock.

He had met on Thursday caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil, and Marada leader and presidential candidate Suleiman Franjieh, who called the encounter "positive and constructive".

Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani voiced optimism over the developments in Lebanon and the region, after attending a dinner banquet hosted by Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari.

Thanking Bukhari for his “dear invitation,” Amani said in a tweet that he is optimistic over the current efforts and developments.

The United States and the United Nations will commence cash distributions to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) on Friday under the “Livelihood Support Program.” 

This program, valued at $55.5 million, will disburse temporary financial support for more than 70,000 LAF personnel and will provide eligible LAF members with $100 per month for a period of six months.

A son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was briefly taken to hospital this week after his health deteriorated nearly three weeks into a hunger strike to protest his detention without trial in Beirut, a person familiar with the case said.

The health of Hannibal Gadhafi, who has been only drinking small amounts of water, deteriorated on Wednesday the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt are mulling the idea of inviting all Lebanese parties, topped by Hezbollah, to a dialogue table that will be held in Riyadh, after Paris, Doha and Cairo were ruled out as locations, informed sources said.

“The French envoy (Jean-Yves Le Drian) will discuss the idea with the Iranians and will propose it to the Lebanese parties after Eid al-Adha, seeing as his current tour is exploratory,” the sources told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Thursday.

Qatari and Egyptian diplomats have stressed in a major capital that there will be efforts to search for a “third and serious” Lebanese presidential candidate who would “enjoy the consent of Washington and Riyadh and would not provoke Tehran,” a media report said.

“The Qataris and Egyptians said the nomination and election will likely go in the direction of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun should the current status quo remain the same,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea considered Thursday that despite France's efforts to break the presidential impasse, the problem is "inside Lebanon."

Geagea said, after meeting France's new special envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian, that the presidential crisis could only be resolved inside Lebanon's parliament.