Ex-premier Saad Hariri is expected to endorse Hizbullah ally Michel Aoun for president, a post that has been vacant for almost 30 months, a senior politician said Wednesday.
Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014 when the mandate of Michel Suleiman expired, amid deep rivalries among Christian and Muslim politicians exacerbated by the conflict in Syria.
Since then parliament, which has twice extended its mandate, has met on 45 occasions to elect a president but deep rivalries and disagreements saw most deputies boycott the sessions.
The assembly is due to convene next week for the 46th time amid high expectations that a president will be elected and that the job will go to Aoun, a Maronite Christian and former army commander.
"Since Hariri has decided to endorse him, and save any last minute change, Michel Aoun will be elected by parliament on October 31," said the senior politician, who declined to be named.