Conflicting Reports About Saudi Position on Aoun's Nomination
Saudi Arabia did not welcome the latest initiative made by al-Mustaqbal chief Saad Hariri as for endorsing MP Michel Aoun for the post of presidency, An Nahar daily reported on Saturday.
A source close to Riyadh said it received a “negative response” from a senior official in Riyadh as for Hariri's endorsement of the Free Patriotic Movement Aoun, according to the daily.
On the other hand, al-Akhbar newspaper said that sources close to the ex-PM Hariri denied rumors that Riyadh had “summoned” him and that he will travel tomorrow to Saudi Arabia.
The sources assured that “the step taken by the Mustaqbal chief would not have been done without a Saudi consent and a regional and international cover, in contrast to all that has been propagated by its opponents.
On Thursday, Hariri has formally endorsed the presidential nomination of Aoun, describing his decision as a “major political risk” that he is willing to take for the sake of the country.
Hariri had endorsed Aoun after his previous support for the presidential nomination of Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.
Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, Aoun's Change and Reform bloc and some of their allies have been boycotting the parliament's electoral sessions, stripping them of the needed quorum.
Hariri had launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Hizbullah's ally Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.
The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid have argued that he is more eligible than Franjieh to become president due to the size of his parliamentary bloc and his bigger influence in the Christian community.
Source: Naharnet
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