Democratic Gathering to Attend All Presidential Election Sessions
The Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc will attend Wednesday's parliamentary session to elect a president.
Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat stressed after a meeting for the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc in Clemenceau that it will be present at all sessions to elect a new head of state.
The Democratic Gathering has adopted the candidacy of Aley lawmaker Henri Helo for presidency.
According to An Nahar newspaper published on Tuesday, the meeting was held in the absence of Health Minister Wael Abou Faour, who is still in Saudi Arabia.
The daily reported that Abou Faour held talks with al-Mustaqbal leader Saad Hariri during his first visit to Jeddah, while he met with the Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud al-Faisal, during the second visit.
On Sunday, Jumblat's envoy Abou Faour traveled to the Saudi city of Jeddah, "which he had also visited three days ago."
Lawmakers failed last week to elect a new president as no candidate was able to garner the needed two-thirds of votes of the 128-member parliament to become Lebanon's next head of state.
Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea received the votes of only 48 MPs while 16 lawmakers voted for Helou, one for Kataeb party chief ex-President Amin Gemayel and 52 MPs from the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance cast blank ballots.
The majority of March 8 alliance MPs withdrew from the session after the vote, resulting in lack of quorum.
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