Hariri Chairs Paris Meeting to Address Latest Local, Regional Affairs

Head of the Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri chaired on Wednesday a meeting of various March 14 alliance officials to address the latest local and regional affairs, reported the daily An Nahar on Thursday.

The gatherers discussed the possibility of holding legislative sessions to tackle pending issues knowing that the movement had opposed such meetings in light of the ongoing presidential vacuum.

The talks, held in Paris, were attended by head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, head of Hariri's office Nader Hariri, advisor to the former premier Ghattas Khoury, and Mustaqbal Movement Secretary General Ahmed Hariri.

They also stressed the movement's position that the election of a president should be a precondition to staging the parliamentary elections.

Lebanon has been without a president since May when the term of Michel Suleiman ended.

Several presidential elections sessions have been held at parliament, but the blocs failed to elect his successor due to ongoing disputes between the March 8 and 14 camps.

The disagreement has led to disputes over holding legislative sessions given the vacuum.

The Mustaqbal and Kataeb blocs have rejected holding the meetings, while their ally, the Lebanese Forces, recently expressed its readiness to attend legislative sessions.

M.T.

G.K.