Much-Anticipated Talks between Aoun, Geagea to Kick Off at Beginning of New Year

The long-awaited meeting between Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea is expected to kick off at the beginning of the new year as the communication channels are open to reach common grounds on the agenda of the talks.

According to An Nahar newspaper the dialogue between the two Christian leaders will tackle all points of contention, in particular the ongoing presidential vacuum.

The country's top Christian post at the Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman's term ended in May.

Both Aoun and Geagea have announced their candidacies for the presidency. Their rivalry and the failure of the different parties to agree on a compromise candidate caused the vacuum at the presidential palace.

Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi, who is affiliated to the Kataeb Party, expected in comments published in the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper that Hizbullah will hold onto Aoun's candidacy until the election of a new president is possible.

Qazzi expressed the party's readiness to gather the rival parties, adding that any meeting between Aoun and Geagea would be considered positive.

Melhem Riachi, chairman of the Lebanese Forces' communication department, and FPM lawmaker Ibrahim Kanaan are holding meetings away from the media spotlight to prepare the agenda for the dialogue between Aoun and Geagea.