Hariri Speaks of 'Bitter Choice' as MPs Warn against 'Suicidal' Endorsement of Aoun

Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri told the members of his parliamentary bloc on Tuesday that he might make the “bitter choice” of endorsing Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun for the presidency as some Mustaqbal MPs described such a step as “suicidal,” media reports said.

“Hariri told Mustaqbal's MPs during the Center House meeting that he could become obliged to endorse bitter choices, including the election of Aoun,” MTV reported.

“The situation is not bearable anymore. They are holding us responsible for vacuum while we are keen on the State and Hizbullah is the one paralyzing it,” it quoted Hariri as telling the lawmakers.

The TV network said none of the Mustaqbal MPs who are in favor of Aoun spoke during the meeting while noting that “the majority that opposes him went on alert, especially ex-PM (Fouad) Saniora and Ahmed Fatfat.”

“Hariri wrapped up the discussion by saying that he would continue his tour and consultations before holding new consultations with his bloc,” MTV added.

According to LBCI television, Hariri told the MPs during the meeting that “all options are on the table.”

“Some MPs warned that the response of Mustaqbal's popular base to the step of endorsing Aoun would be very bad, describing the option of backing Aoun as suicidal,” LBCI added.

“We lost some of our popular base due to some political choices and another part because of nominating Franjieh, so why should we risk losing the remaining part through endorsing Aoun,” some of the lawmakers asked.

“Why should we back the Iranian project in Lebanon and what guarantees that Hariri will return to the premiership,” reports quoted some MPs as saying.

Meanwhile, Mustaqbal sources told al-Jadeed television that “nominating Aoun is one of the options but the issue needs more time and it is not a matter of one or two weeks.”

And OTV quoted sources close to Mustaqbal as saying that “all options are on the table and they range from nominating Aoun, continuing to nominate Franjieh or announcing inability to do anything.”

An official statement issued after the meeting had said that Hariri “informed the bloc that he has started consultations with all political parties with the aim of speeding up the election of a president.”

The meeting came after overnight talks between Hariri and Franjieh and three days after the ex-PM returned to the country from a foreign trip that lasted several weeks.

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, who is close to Saudi Arabia, launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

Hariri's move prompted Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea to endorse the nomination of Aoun, his long-time Christian rival, after months of political rapprochement talks between their two parties.

The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid argue 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.