Aoun's Bloc Says 'All Members' to Nominate Hariri for Premiership

The Change and Reform bloc of President Michel Aoun announced Tuesday that all of its members will vote for ex-PM Saad Hariri in the binding parliamentary consultations to pick a new premier that will kick off on Wednesday.

“All of our votes will go to Hariri because he has recognized our presence... We will stand by him in the difficulties that he might face. We recognize whoever recognizes us and we reject whoever rejects us,” Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil said after the bloc's weekly meeting in Rabieh.

“The bloc will try to be more active in its work and its support for the president,” Bassil added, a day after Aoun was elected president in the wake of key support for his presidential nomination from Hariri.

“We thank all those who supported us in the presidential race,” Bassil went on to say, mentioning Hizbullah, the Tashnag Party, the Lebanese Forces and Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement.

“We thank Hizbullah, the partner in victory, and we know the pressures it withstood to give national partnership its full meaning,” he said.

Bassil also expressed relief that “the most representative candidate has been elected president in line with the National Pact,” noting that “this principle has been consolidated.”

Earlier on Tuesday, al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc formally nominated Hariri for the premier post, saying it is looking forward to “cooperation” between Hariri and Aoun.

Aoun was elected president on Monday after around two and a half years of presidential void. His presidential chances were largely boosted by a key endorsement from Hariri in mid-October.

Aoun's nomination also received crucial support from Hizbullah and the Lebanese Forces.

Binding parliamentary consultations for picking the new premier will be held on Wednesday and Thursday.