Prominent political sources in Beirut confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the next stage will reshuffle the cards regarding the presidential election, with the name of the army commander, General Joseph Aoun, presented as a candidate who enjoys regional support and international, without implying a decline in the fortunes of the leader of the “Marada” movement, former deputy Suleiman Franjieh, even if he has not officially announced his candidacy.
The same sources confirm that the advancement of the army commander’s name by no means means that the opposition has abandoned its support for deputy Michel Moawad, and will try to compensate for his decline by expanding the number of his supporters at Thursday’s election session next, even if the indications say that the session will end like the previous ones.
The sources specified that the opposition is sticking to Moawad’s candidacy until further notice and will not abandon him. He says he agrees with him to clear the arena in favor of a candidate who could provide a meeting point with the “opposition” axis, as long as he is not an extension of former president Michel Aoun, or a continuation of the policy inheritance of him. That means, from his perspective, that abandoning Moawad’s support for the presidency will inevitably mean that there is no room for Franjieh to walk, even if he looks nothing like former president Michel Aoun.
The sources foresee a reshuffling of the cards, perhaps in the first months of the new year. He says that support for the army commander’s candidacy must be a matter of understanding between the opposition, the “opposition” axis, and the deputies who stand in the middle of the road between the two axes.
The sources believe that the breakdown in communication between the opposition and the “opposition” axis hinders the search for a candidate who has the ability to lead the country from the crisis phase to that of détente, and enjoys international and regional support.
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