Rivalries Likely to Keep Baabda Palace Vacant
A parliamentary session set for the election of a new president next month will likely meet the fate of its predecessors despite the rapprochement between the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement.
The February 8 session will most probably be boycotted by March 8 and 14 lawmakers over their fears that the results would not be in their favor, An Nahar daily said Friday.
The newspaper quoted parliamentary sources as saying that if the session was held, then the votes for the most powerful candidates FPM founder MP Michel Aoun and Marada movement chief lawmaker Suleiman Franjieh will be very close.
On Monday, LF chief Samir Geagea endorsed the candidacy of Aoun. His move came after al-Mustaqbal movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri clinched a deal with Franjieh last year to back him for the presidency in return for Hariri to return to the Grand Serail.
Despite Geagea's support for Aoun, Hariri is sticking to his decision to back Franjieh.
Several parliamentary blocs announced their stance but others, including Hizbullah and the Kataeb, are yet to issue their positions.
The country's top Christian post has been vacant since May 2014. Since then, more than 30 sessions that Speaker Nabih Berri has called for have been adjourned over lack of quorum.
G.K.
D.A.
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