BEIRUT: The Future Movement’s parliamentary bloc Tuesday rejected Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s presidency and premiership overture to former Premier Saad Hariri as a breach of the Constitution, saying the Hezbollah chief cannot impose MP Michel Aoun as a sole candidate for the country’s top Christian post.

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting chaired by former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, the bloc stressed that the election of a president and a Parliament speaker, or the nomination of a prime minister are national matters, and not issues for each confessional or sectarian group to decide.

Meanwhile, officials of the Future Movement and Hezbollah held a new round of talks Tuesday night as part of their ongoing dialogue aimed at reducing sectarian and political tensions, fueled by the Syrian war.

“The participants discussed political developments, constitutional developments [presidential election] and a parliamentary election law, stressing the need to quickly approve it,” said a statement issued after the meeting held at Speaker Nabih Berri’s Ain al-Tineh residence. No further details were given.

It was the 33rd dialogue session between the two rival parties held against the backdrop of Nasrallah’s conciliatory gesture to Hariri, signaling that Hezbollah is ready to accept the head of the Future Movement as Lebanon’s next prime minister as part of a deal that includes the election of Aoun as president.

Nasrallah’s premiership and presidency offer came during a televised speech last Saturday, while addressing a Hezbollah mass rally in the southern town of Bint Jbeil, marking the 10th anniversary of what the party calls its “victory” during the war with Israel in 2006.Commenting on Nasrallah’s speech, the Future bloc’s statement said: “The bloc sees that Sayyed Nasrallah returned again to talk about internal politics by transcending the Constitution and the regulations it contains concerning the setting up of constitutional institutions, either with regard to the election of a president, a Parliament speaker, or the choosing of a prime minister.”

“In this respect, the bloc renews the call to respect the Constitution and abide by its regulations and provisions in all steps of setting up power in Lebanon. It cannot accept a disregard of the Constitution, or a neglect of the Taif Accord as Sayyed Nasrallah is trying to promote and push the country to,” it said.

“The election of a president, or the election of a Parliament speaker, or the selection of a prime minister are national matters par excellence. They are not matters for each confessional or sectarian group to decide, assuming that it is a post belonging more to its share than others,” the statement added.

The bloc said the qualifications of a president were spelled out by the national dialogue committee which stated that a presidential candidate “must enjoy the support of his own community and also from other communities of the Lebanese people.”

“Sayyed Nasrallah’s remarks on upholding Gen. Michel Aoun as his candidate is his right. But this right does not entitle him to impose him [Aoun] as a sole candidate for the presidency, and subsequently, claims for himself the constitutional right to obstruct Parliament sessions if his wish was not fulfilled,” the bloc said.

“The election of a president remains a top national priority. Those who are obstructing the election are known. They are Hezbollah, the Free Patriotic Movement and their allies,” the statement said.

The Future bloc has said it is committed to supporting Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Frangieh’s candidacy.

Aoun, Hezbollah’s sole candidate for the presidency and who is also backed by the Lebanese Forces and some March 8 groups, was reported to be counting on last-minute support from the Future bloc to enhance his chances for being elected president in return for helping Hariri return to the premiership.

Separately, Aoun’s parliamentary Change and Reform bloc restated its opposition to the possible extension of Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi’s term, which expires next month.

“The bloc’s stance on the army commander is clear. We are for the appointment [of a new Army chief], not extension,” MP Ibrahim Kanaan told reporters after the bloc’s weekly meeting chaired by Aoun at his residence in Rabieh, north of Beirut. “Returning to the Constitution and the [National] Pact is the door to a solution for institutions to return to their regular work.”

He said the bloc would decide what steps it would take if Kahwagi’s term was extended again.

Political and military sources told The Daily Star last week that they have acquired information indicating Kahwagi’s term will be extended for an additional year until September 2017. Kahwagi’s term was extended by 12 months in August last year.

Meanwhile, visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri said after holding talks with top Lebanese leaders that Cairo is ready to play “a positive role” in helping Lebanon’s political rivals to reach an agreement to end the more than 2-year-old presidential vacuum.

Shoukri arrived here Monday night on a three-day official visit seen as part of Egypt’s attempts to regain its major role in the region. He first met with Prime Minister Tammam Salam before holding talks with Berri and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. He later met with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian at Dar al-Fatwa.

Shoukri’s talks with Lebanese officials centered on developments in Lebanon and the region, and Egypt’s moves over the Lebanese presidential election, the National News Agency reported.

“I had the honor to meet Speaker Berri and listened to his vision of the internal situation and the crisis over the Lebanese presidential election. I expressed to him Egypt’s aspiration to play a positive role in helping all the parties to reach a settlement to this election and overcome this crisis,” Shoukri told reporters after meeting Berri at Ain al-Tineh.

Asked if his meetings with Lebanese officials could evolve later into an Egyptian initiative to resolve the Lebanese crisis, Shoukri told reporters after meeting Salam at the Grand Serail: “We are working as part of our endeavor to enhance our relations [with Lebanon], contact all Lebanese political components and create a common ground for further understanding because it is the only way to overcome the current crisis and [achieve] stability.”

After talks with Bassil, Shoukri said Egypt does not favor any particular presidential candidate.