Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) MP Georges Atallah denied on Wednesday that communication with rival Christian party the Lebanese Forces over the stalled presidential election has stopped, stressing that the matter is a common concern.
“The two parties’ leaderships are closely monitoring the issue and have made big strides over several points, though some still need to be clarified,” Atallah said to LBCI TV two days after his colleague MP Alain Aoun claimed that all communication was discontinued.
“I have informed the Maronite Patriarch (Bishara) al-Rai that transparent and sincere communication is continuing between the two parties,” Atallah added.
He disclosed that Iran-backed Hezbollah, FPM’s sole ally, has been contacting the group asking them to name potential presidential candidates.
“We told them (Hezbollah) that we will only suggest names when they turn the page on (Sleiman) Frangieh’s candidature, and that we are looking for a candidate who would be accepted by the majority of the parties… We do not want to clash with any party, and we are convinced that we do not want a confrontational candidate,” Atallah stressed.
He argued that contact with the Lebanese Forces was driven by a common concern over the stalled presidential election.
