Mustaqbal Informs Hizbullah, AMAL of its Nomination of Franjieh as President The Mustaqbal Movement informed Hizbullah and the AMAL movement of its nomination of Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh as president, reported As Safir newspaper on Tuesday. It said that the Mustaqbal Movement had informed the two sides of its decision during the dialogue session with Hizbullah that was held at Speaker Nabih Berri's Ain el-Tineh residence on Monday. The presidential elections were therefore the main topic of discussion at the meeting, which was summed up in its concluding statement that said: “Talks tackled the political developments, especially those related to the constitutional junctures.” The bilateral talks come amid calls for a so-called national political settlement which have been voiced by several parties, including Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and al-Mustaqbal Movement leader MP Saad Hariri. The country is witnessing a flurry of political talks between parties from both the March 14 and March 8 camps. The new momentum followed a meeting that was held in Paris between Hariri and Franjieh. The Franjieh-Hariri meeting has sparked intense speculation that they agreed to the nomination of the Marada chief as president. Mustaqbal Hits Back at Geagea, Says Hariri Endorses 'Lebanon First' without 'Agitation' Al-Mustaqbal newspaper hit back violently on Monday at the “indirect message” that al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri received from his ally Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea on Friday, when the latter urged commitment to the “principles and objectives of March 14.” “Hariri has the motto 'Lebanon First' at the top of his objectives,” the daily said, stressing that the ex-PM does not resort to “agitation, deceit or maneuvering” in his political conduct. “Because he is the son of Rafik Hariri and Rafik Hariri's school, he puts moderation before anything else,” it added. Hariri “does not need to stir sedition to become a leader or to endorse extremism as a policy in order to score points against his rivals,” the newspaper said. It underlined that “resorting to agitation and an extremist rhetoric does not need any courage.” “But a noble and national (political) settlement requires extraordinary courage,” it added. On Friday, Geagea had stressed that the March 14 coalition “must not make any step unless it serves the principles and objectives of March 14.” “'March 14 First' means clinging until martyrdom to the principles of March 14 and not to anything else,” Geagea underlined. “'March 14 First' means carefully and fully heeding the voices of hundreds of thousands of people who took to the squares of freedom on March 14, 2005,” Geagea added. His remarks came amid a flurry of political talks in the country between parties from both the March 14 and March 8 camps. The new momentum followed a meeting that was held in Paris between Hariri and Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh, a prominent March 8 figure. Hariri has also met in Paris with Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat and Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel. The Franjieh-Hariri meeting has sparked intense speculation that they agreed to the nomination of the Marada chief as president. |