Report: Rabieh Assesses Saudi Stance as Positive, Still Has to Convince Berri of Aoun's Nomination

As soon as he returned from a trip to Moscow and Riyadh, al-Mustaqbal Movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri tasked one of his representatives to hold contacts with MP Michel Aoun to brief him on Saudi Arabia's “initial” positive position with regard to his nomination for the presidency, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

Although the Saudi stance is still indecisive, but the news was assessed as positive in Rabieh, the daily added.

Contacts between Rabieh and Hizbullah followed, and the latter was briefed on the communications between Rabieh and the Center House, “things have matured and there is still Speaker Nabih Berri to convince,” of Aoun's nomination.

Rabieh pins high hopes on Hizbullah's ability to convince Berri, although the man is adamant not to change his position as he adheres to the package deal that he suggested earlier, according to the daily.

Another meeting between Hariri and the political aide to Berri, Minister Ali Hassan Khalil took place in the Center House. Discussions focused on Hariri's latest visit to Riyadh, where it has been noted that the Saudi stance is not decisive for Aoun's nomination as yet.

Hariri's recent return to Lebanon has triggered a flurry of rumors and media reports about a possible presidential settlement and the possibility that the former premier has finally decided to endorse Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun for the presidency in a bid to break the deadlock.

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 Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency but his proposal was met with reservations from the country's main Christian parties as well as Hizbullah.

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.