Geagea: FPM and opposition agree Azour as preferred presidential candidate

BEIRUT — Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea reaffirmed Wednesday that the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), led by his political rival Gebran Bassil, has told opposition forces of its commitment to supporting the candidacy of former Finance Minister and current head of the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Jihad Azour in Lebanon's presidential election. Geagea also indicated that Azour could obtain "more than 65 votes if the FPM maintains its position."

Azour's name has been circulating for several days as the opposition camp's candidate of choice, in agreement with the FPM, to block the road to Baabda for Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, who is backed by Amal and Hezbollah.

On Saturday, the LF leader claimed that Bassil had decided to support Azour, citing information reaching him from opposition circles. Sources close to FPM, quoted by the party's media outlet Tayyar.org, distanced themselves from these statements, saying they included "erroneous facts."

On Tuesday, the FPM's parliamentary group avoided taking a clear position on Azour, while expressing readiness to endorse any announcement of a candidate defined after agreement with the opposition.

"The agreement between the opposition, the FPM and MP Gebran Bassil has been reached on the subject of support for Jihad Azour", said Geagea in an interview with the pro-Hezbollah daily al-Akhbar, published on Wednesday. According to Geagea, "the FPM has informed the opposition forces that it is committed to supporting Jihad Azour's candidacy."

However, Geagea added, "The matter does not end here, negotiations are continuing."

Asked how the support for Azour came about, the LF leader indicated that credit should go to Frangieh. "The moumanaa axis [the pro-Iranian axis in Lebanon] has gone far this time and united those who could not be united," he said. For the LF leader, Azour is a "neutral compromise candidate, not a defiant one."

Over 65 votes for Azour

"Whether there is a clear candidate or not, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri will not call Parliament to an election session," Geagea said. According to him, Berri will do so "in only one case: when the moumanaa candidate, Sleiman Frangieh, receives 65 votes." That number is the simple majority needed to be elected in a second-round vote for president in Lebanon's Parliament.

Based on a tally carried out by his party, the Maronite leader estimated that "Jihad Azour will obtain more than 65 votes if the FPM maintains its position with the opposition camp."

No divisions within FPM

For his part, MP Salim Aoun (FPM/Zahle) confirmed to Aljadeed TV that the "FPM has reached agreement with the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb and some independent MPs on the subject of Jihad Azour's candidacy."

"If we are called to an electoral session, all the votes of FPM will be given to Jihad Azour,"  he added, denying "rumors of divisions within the ranks" of the party.

FPM MP Alain Aoun sparked controversy 10 days ago when he announced that the Azour page "had been turned" and that the only way to get along with the opposition was to reach an agreement around an MP from the FPM's bloc. These stances forced the FPM leader to rectify his position by showing himself open to any agreement with the anti-Frangieh camp.