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Nasrallah Meets Aoun Who Expresses Gratitude for 'Facilitation' in Presidential File

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah received Sunday presidential hopeful founder of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun, who thanked him for the “facilitation” offered by the party as for the presidential file, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

The meeting was held in the presence of head of the FPM Minister of Foreign Affairs Jebran Bassil, Nasrallah's adviser Hajj Hussein Khalil and Hizbullah's top security official Wafiq Safa.

The talks focused on the latest political developments in Lebanon and the region, especially the developments in the presidential file.

“We are here today to extend our gratitude to Sayyed Nasrallah for helping us solve the deadlock that hampered the election of a president,” said Aoun after the meeting.

Aoun had voiced hopes that things “become complete. We have always found the help and tolerance we needed in the national issues,” said Aoun according to the daily.

On Sunday, Nasrallah had renewed in a speech his support for Aoun's nomination for the top state post, he said: “Our commitment to General Michel Aoun's nomination is final. The Loyalty to the Resistance bloc will attend the session and all the members will vote for General Aoun.”

“Some parties are saying that they are offering sacrifices and I would also like to announce that we are offering a very big sacrifice when we say that we are not opposed to the appointment of ex-PM Saad Hariri as premier,” Hizbullah's chief had said.

Berri, who has openly declared that he opposes the election of Aoun, has pledged that his bloc will take part in the October 31 electoral session and that he will not try to strip the meeting of its quorum.

Berri's aides have accused Aoun and Hariri of striking a “bilateral” agreement that would marginalize Shiites in power, allegations that Aoun and his movement have denied.

Aoun was tipped to become president after Hariri formally endorsed his nomination on Thursday.

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 and Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman 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.


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