Confidante Denies Franjieh Received Threats from Damascus

A source close to Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh denied Wednesday a media report claiming that the Zgharta leader had received “threats” from the Syrian regime over his latest political activity.

“MP Franjieh's relation with Syria has always been and will always be excellent and the article that mentioned threats and messages is fictional and baseless,” al-Jadeed television quoted one of Franjieh's confidantes as saying, in response to an article published by al-Joumhouria newspaper.

The source noted that Franjieh had recently boosted his security measures “after several terrorist plots to target senior politicians were unveiled in the wake of the series of achievements and arrests that the security agencies have made.”

“The issue has nothing to do with Syria or the presidential file and its developments,” the source emphasized.

Citing unconfirmed reports, al-Joumhouria's article says “Franjieh received threats warning him against attending the dinner banquet that was held by the Saudi ambassador at the embassy in Ramadan, and as a result he upped his security measures.”

The daily also quoted sources as saying that “the Syrians have great concern regarding Franjieh due to his new and strong ties to French officials, especially that he coordinates with them almost daily, and secondly because of the channel of communication he has established with Saudi Arabia through his cousin Karim al-Rassi.”

The sources also mentioned a third reason which is Franjieh's “ability to forge some kind of settlement with (ex-PM Saad) Hariri, whose offerings, so far, have not satisfied the Syrians, Hizbullah or Iran.”

Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014 and Hizbullah, MP Michel 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.