Report: Aoun-Franjieh Meeting Not Possible Anymore
Change and Reform bloc leader and presidential hopeful MP Michel Aoun will not meet his rival in the race MP Suleiman Franjieh ahead of Monday's presidential elections, because the latter did not withdraw his nomination, the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa daily reported on Friday.
Aoun met with several political leaders after al-Mustaqbal Movement chief Saad Hariri endorsed him for the top state post last week. He was set to visit Franjieh as well on condition that the latter withdraws his candidacy, which he did not, added the daily.
Franjieh has stressed that he will not withdraw from the presidential race although he has admitted that the presidential chances of his electoral rival, Free Patriotic Movement founder Aoun, are “stronger.”
The daily added that Franjieh had launched some negative stances about Aoun during his latest televised interview, which will not make a meeting between the two men possible.
The Marada chief had lashed out at both Aoun and his new ally Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea during the interview, he said: “Since when the names of Dr. Geagea or General Aoun have been associated with a state of stability or prosperity? They have always been associated with a state of war, obstruction and criminality, and I'm not referring to Aoun by the last word,” he said.
Franjieh accuses Geagea of murdering his family during civil war.
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 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 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.
Source: Naharnet
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