Negotiations over the presidential deadlock moved again to the French capital after parliament failed for the seventh time to elect a new head of state on Wednesday.

Former President Michel Suleiman met on Thursday with French President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat reiterated on Thursday his support for the nomination of MP Henri Helou for the presidency, saying that he acts as a moderate figure when compared to other nominees, reported the Egyptian daily al-Ahram.

He told the daily: “We will not withdraw Helou's nomination for the sake of others regardless of what agreements are made. This is democracy.”

The much-anticipated meeting between Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and al-Mustaqbal head MP Saad Hariri in the French capital Paris is not expected to resolve the presidential deadlock.

An Nahar newspaper reported that the meeting, which was expected to be held on Tuesday was postponed to Friday.

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour described on Sunday relations between Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and al-Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri as “good and solid.”

“Even if they have different stances but respect, friendship and cooperation remain,” Abou Faour pointed out.

Former Prime Minister and head of al-Mustaqbal Movement Saad Hariri telephoned Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Friday evening during a meeting with Health Minister Wael Abou Faour in the Moroccan city of Casablanca.

Both leaders agreed during the conversation to hold a meeting in the near future, a statement released by Hariri's media office said.

A meeting is expected to be held next week between Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and the head of al-Mustaqbal movement, Saad Hariri.

According to al-Akhbar and al-Liwaa newspapers published on Thursday, the meeting will be held on Tuesday in the French capital Paris.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat assured that he is going forward with the nomination of Democratic Gathering MP Henri Helou for presidency, stating that he will not withdraw it “for the sake of a military man or the Central Bank chief.”

"I don't oppose (Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel) Aoun but I do not nominate him or vote for him. I also won't vote for (Lebanese Forces chief) Samir (Geagea),” Jumblat said in an interview on Tele Liban which aired on Wednesday evening.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat announced Tuesday that he will soon inform al-Mustaqbal movement chief Saad Hariri that his Democratic Gathering bloc will neither vote for Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun nor for Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea in the presidential election.

“We're opposed to the election of Aoun as president and I will tell Saad Hariri if I met him that we will neither vote for Aoun nor for Geagea," Jumblat said in an interview on Al-Arabiya's Al-Hadath TV channel.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat recognized on Monday “sacrifices” made by the Syndicate Coordination Committee and its “legitimate” social demands regarding the new wage scale.

He told the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website however: “Any adventure in approving the wage scale will have unpredictable repercussions on the national economy.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has stressed that he will not pull out MP Henri Helou of the presidential race even if an agreement was reached between al-Mustaqbal movement leader MP Saad Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun.

“I'm not one of those who wait for external factors. I won't pull out Henri Helou even if Hariri reaches an agreement with Aoun,” Jumblat said in an interview with The Associated Press.