Future Movement leader and former PM Saad Hariri told the members of his parliamentary bloc on Tuesday that he is under pressure to endorse Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun for the presidency as some Future Movement MPs described such a move as “suicidal,” media reports said.
“Hariri told Mustaqbal’s MPs during the Center House meeting that he could become obliged to endorse bitter choices, including the election of Aoun,” MTV reported.
“The situation is not bearable anymore. They are holding us responsible for vacuum while we are keen on the State and Hezbollah is the one paralyzing it,” it quoted Hariri as telling the lawmakers.
The TV network said that former PM and Future Movement parliamentary bloc leader Fouad Siniora and MP Ahmed Fatfat a key Future Movement official are completely opposed to the ideal of endorsing Aoun.”
“Hariri wrapped up the discussion by saying that he would continue his tour and consultations before holding new consultations with his bloc,” MTV added.
According to LBCI television, Hariri told the MPs during the meeting that “all options are on the table.”
“Some MPs warned that the response of Future Movement’s popular base to the step of endorsing Aoun would be very bad, describing the option of backing Aoun as suicidal,” LBCI added.
“We lost some of our popular base due to some political choices and another part because of nominating ( Marada Movement leader Suleiman )Franjieh, so why should we risk losing the remaining part through endorsing Aoun,” some of the lawmakers asked.
“Why should we back the Iranian project in Lebanon ?,” reports quoted some MPs as saying.
The meeting came after overnight talks between Hariri and Franjieh and three days after he returned to the country from a foreign trip that lasted several weeks.
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