BEIRUT: Hezbollah Friday reaffirmed its support for MP Michel Aoun for the presidency, a stance that is likely to further complicate the presidential deadlock as it runs contrary to local and regional calls for the election of a consensus candidate to end the 8-month-old vacuum in the country’s top Christian post.
The Hezbollah position came a day after French presidential envoy Jean-Francois Girault ended a two-day visit to Beirut, apparently without making any breakthrough in the presidential crisis in his talks with rival Lebanese leaders as the March 8 and March 14 parties upheld their support for opposing candidates.
Meanwhile, premier Tammam Salam, addressing the Munich Security Conference late Friday, urged the international community to come forth with its promised aid to help Lebanon cope with 1.5 million Syrian refugees along with half a million Palestinian refugees.