Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh (L) received on May 11, 2023 by Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari in Yarzeh. (Credit: Twitter/@sleimanfrangieh)
BEIRUT — Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh visited the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, Thursday morning in Yarze just south of Beirut, an adviser to Frangieh who requested anonymity confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour.
Frangieh left after his meeting with Bukhari without giving any comments to the media or releasing an official statement. Bukhari also did not comment.
However, the Marada leader tweeted shortly after the meeting stating: “Thank you for the invitation honorable Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The meeting was cordial and excellent.”
شكراً على دعوة سفير المملكة العربية السعودية الكريمة. اللقاء كان وديّاً وممتازاً. pic.twitter.com/yhsMNQ8qfs
— Sleiman Frangieh (@sleimanfrangieh) May 11, 2023
This is the first meeting between the Marada Movement leader and Walid Bukhari since Frangieh emerged as a presidential contender.
According to Frangieh's advisor, "positive contacts" have recently taken place between Frangieh and Riyadh which likely facilitated to setting up Thursday's meeting.
The Saudi diplomat also met with the National Moderation parliamentary group, mainly composed of Sunni ex-Hariri supporters from northern Lebanon.
The MPs assured that they "will not boycott any parliamentary session to elect a president and will support any candidate who respects the national accord, the Taif Agreement and preserves relations with Arab countries and the Gulf."
Bukhari recently steered clear of imposing a strong role for Riyadh in Lebanon's presidential deadline, saying that his country "does not veto" any candidate so long as they have consensus.
Lebanon has had no president since the end of former head of state Michel Aoun's mandate on Oct. 31, 2022. Parliament has failed to elect a new president since then, amid a lack of political consensus on who to name to the post.
Amid the deadlock, Hezbollah and its ally the Amal Movement support Frangieh for president, while their opponents remain divided.
Though favored by part of the Parliamentary opposition, independent Zgharta MP Michel Moawad has not yet obtained enough votes to win.
Meanwhile, France implicitly supports a deal that would see the presidency go to Frangieh and the post of prime minister to Nawaf Salam, a judge at the International Criminal Court who is close to the opposition.
According to some observers, however, France has given up on this proposal after rejection from Lebnaon's two main Christian parties, the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement.
Frangieh’s advisor did not wish to comment Thursday on France's possible change of position. According to him, the LF and the FPM do not want a presidential election to be held. He said that Frangieh remains the only serious candidate at the moment.
