On March 21, the Ad-Diyyar daily newspaper carried the following report by Sonia Rizk: “Two days ago, Speaker Nabih Birri, made a statement where he called for electing the head of Al-Marada movement, Suleiman Franjieh, as president. He further considered that Gen. Michel Aoun’s latest speech on the March 14 anniversary was escalatory. He expressed his concern over the term “prepare your forearms” that Aoun used to conclude his speech where he addressed his supporters. This was followed by a moral support presented to Franjieh by the Amal movement’s minister, Ali Hassan Khalil…

“Well-informed political sources indicated that Birri’s statement was made following a communication with the Hezbollah people where he asked them to speed up the conclusion of the presidential file and to encourage Franjieh’s elections because Aoun’s chances are getting slimmer mainly on the regional level adding that there’s a need to elect a March 8 president because Aoun’s election is nearly impossible… The sources referred to the statement made by the March 14’s general secretariat coordinator, Fares Souaid, about Hezbollah having informed [Gibran] Bassil that Aoun’s election is now impossible, adding that Birri’s words represent a proof to that…

“The sources added that whoever may count the votes between Gen. Aoun and MP Franjieh will be able to know that the latter can obtain more votes than the former. The sources thought that the Free Patriotic Movement’s demand to secure Aoun’s win by acclamation through Franjieh’s withdrawal is off and that this will surely not happen because the latter is clinging to his nomination and has repeatedly voiced this out. Anyone who knows Franjieh well will know that this is not a mere maneuver on his part. People close to him quoted him as saying that he will not pull out from the battle even if the Syrian president and Hezbollah were to ask him…


“The sources indicated that Franjieh’s chances are on the rise as there are fears that the undecided votes will actually go to him. Indeed, in addition to the Future movement and Speaker Birri’s bloc, MP Walid Jumblatt will vote for him at the last minute in addition to the majority of the independent MPs who will be voting for Franjieh as well. The same sources indicated that something is being planned in this regard as seen through the suspicious silence of both Franjieh and Hezbollah especially that the latter is not comfortable about Dr. Samir Geagea’s support for the General…

“The sources added that Geagea will be fighting Franjieh’s access to Baabda to the end because he will be the main loser. The access of Al-Marada’s head to the post of president means the revival of the Syrian-Iranian axis in Lebanon because he is a spearhead to this axis. The sources indicated that this will constitute a strong blow to the head of the Lebanese Forces. They added that Franjieh’s election will cause many changes and will primarily affect the people who nominated and supported him, i.e. [former] PM Sa’d al-Hariri, because the Zghorta leader [i.e. Franjieh] is much more involved with the Syrian axis than Aoun is…”