Saudi Minister to Voice Support for 'Hariri's Initiative' during Lebanon Visit

Saudi Arabia's state minister for Gulf affairs will visit Lebanon in the coming days and will express the kingdom's support for the presidential initiative of al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri, a media report said on Wednesday.

“The postponement of the visit of State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan is solely linked to (Speaker Nabih) Berri's return from Geneva and Riyadh's envoy will express to Berri the kingdom's support for Hariri's initiative,” Mustaqbal Movement sources told al-Akhbar newspaper.

“The Saudi envoy will carry suggestions aimed at resolving the obstacles and lowering the level of opposition that the speaker has showed against the agreement between Hariri and (Free Patriotic Movement founder) General Michel Aoun,” the sources added.

Media reports have said that the “real battle” will only begin after Aoun's election as president in the October 31 session and that some parties will not facilitate the formation of a government led by Hariri.

Aoun was tipped to become president after Hariri formally endorsed him on Thursday.

Berri has voiced concerns over the Aoun-Hariri agreements that preceded the endorsement while openly declaring that his bloc will “vote against Aoun” and that it might “join the ranks of the opposition.”

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 Hizbullah's ally and Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman 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.