Aoun and Jumblat Agree to 'Meet Soon'

Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun on Thursday held phone talks with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, only hours before an expected declaration by ex-PM Saad Hariri about endorsing Aoun for the presidency.

The two leaders agreed to “meet soon,” according to the media reports.

After Hariri's declaration, Aoun is expected to launch political consultations with the political parties, especially with Jumblat and Speaker Nabih Berri who both have reservations over his nomination.

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 had launched an initiative in late 2015 to nominate Hizbullah's ally 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 reservations have prompted Hariri to shift his support for Aoun in recent days and an official declaration is expected around 5:30 pm.

The supporters of Aoun's presidential bid have argued 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.