Hariri Meets Salam in a Show of Support for Government

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Al-Mustaqbal Movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri met on Saturdaywith Prime Minister Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail after a series of shuttle presidency meetings over the week.

Hariri left the meeting without making a statement, media reports said.

The National News Agency said discussions between the two men touched on the latest developments.

MTV said that the visit comes in a show of support to the government.

On Friday Hariri had held a much-anticipated meeting with Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun in Rabieh, shortly after he held talks in Maarab with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea.

Since Monday, Hariri has met with Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh, Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel, Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat and Speaker Nabih Berri.

The ex-PM's return to Lebanon on Saturday has triggered a flurry of rumors and media reports about a possible presidential settlement and the possibility that the he has finally decided to endorse Aoun for the presidency in a bid to break the deadlock.

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

Conflicts between the rival political parties have thwarted all efforts that aimed to elect a successor.

The parliament held 45 sessions to elect a head of state but it failed to convene over lack of quorum.

SourceNaharnet
Comments 1
Thumb chrisrushlau 01 October 2016, 18:01

Hariri reported brought a threat from the King of Saudi Arabia to do away with Article 24 of the Lebanese Constitution which reserves half of the Lebanese Parliament for Christians; in the King's terms, "Let you feel the wrath of the Shia majority and see how you'd deal with it."
It's unclear what Hariri and the King want Lebanon to do in order to avoid this eventuality. It's been suggested that Israel take over Lebanon, having proven it knows how to run small, third-world countries on a largely self-financing basis.