Report: Franjieh-Hariri Meeting Happened, Did not Happen

Despite the statements negating that a meeting has taken place between head of al-Mustaqbal movement Saad Hariri and Marada leader MP Suleiman Franjieh, well informed sources assured that the meeting has happened and that the two man have met at the house of business man Jilbert Chagouri, al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday.

The sources added that mutual friends have arranged for the meeting at Chagouri's place in Paris during Suleiman's visit to the French capital last week.

MP Ghattas Khoury, who has visited Franjieh about a month ago, and Nader Hariri, the adviser of the Mustaqbal Movement leader have also attended the meeting, the sources added.

Last week, Hariri's media office and Franjieh's advisers issued statements and slammed reports that such a meeting took place.

However, sources say that the overall political situation is in desperate need for common ground between the political factions to end the presidential vacuum, which pushed for a meeting between the two men away from media spotlight.

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of President Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014.

The conflicts between the rival political figures of the March 8 and March 14 camps have thwarted so far all the attempts aiming at electing a successor.

Well informed sources said that in light of the diminishing possibility to garner agreement on the election of March 8 candidate MP Michel Aoun as president, has pushed the alliance to find an alternative.