Franjieh Meets Aoun in Rabieh over Presidential Initiative

A much-anticipated meeting was held Wednesday afternoon in Rabieh between Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh and Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun, amid ambiguity in the ties between the two allies that followed the northern leader's presidential nomination.

The meeting was held in the presence of Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil -- Aoun's son-in-law.

Franjieh left Rabieh without making a statement after the talks, which lasted around an hour.

“The dialogue was closer to a tripartite brainstorming about the presidency, the country, Christians, the region and the attempts to disrupt the unity of the political camp,” FPM-affiliated OTV said in its evening news bulletin.

Describing the meeting as “very good,” it noted that “the positive atmosphere prevailed during every minute of it.”

“The conferees stressed the firmness of their alliance and that each one of them will stand by the other throughout all the stages,” OTV said.

It said Franjieh reiterated that he will “maintain all his previous, well-known stances” on his “declared support for General Aoun,” as the Change and Refrom bloc chief “confirmed his full keenness on Franjieh's position and on the ties of alliance with him.”

The two men “fully agreed to follow up on the developments of the presidential issue, in full and close coordination with all the members of the Change and Reform bloc, in order to turn it into a chance for peace and welfare for Lebanon and the Lebanese,” OTV added.

MTV meanwhile described the meeting as tense, noting that it “did not achieve any progress.”

The meeting between the two candidates of the March 8 alliance nominated for the presidency had been described as “pivotal” by the al-Joumhouria daily.

Franijeh was expected to brief Aoun on his meeting with al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri in Paris recently, which brought forward a political settlement to end the vacuum at the Baabda Palace by nominating the Marada leader.

The suggestion was not appreciated by several political groups mainly the Christian leaders of the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party, and the Free Patriotic Movement of Aoun.

Aoun for his part was expected to reiterate adherence to his own candidacy and to the fact that he would not step back from his run in the presidential race, An Nahar daily said.

The Change and Reform chief would inform Franjieh of his bloc's stance, which is also backed by MPs of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc of his staunch ally Hizbullah, it added.

D.A./Y.R.