Bassil is about to adopt an option other than the White Paper (Hussein Baydoun / Al-Araby Al-Jadeed)
Lebanon entered the second week of the vacuum in the first presidency without any serious indication to fill it soon, in light of the political forces’ inability to find a “consensual candidate” and to “overthrow” the dialogue table, which the president has requested. . Nabih Berri Instead of the electoral sessions, which he defined as “theatrical”, what prompted him to resume them, at the same time appointing his deputy Elia Bou Saabwho has recently been awarded the title of “chief negotiator”, in connection with his role in the maritime demarcation, with the task of communicating with the parliamentary blocs, which would outline the presidential scenario at the present stage.
Berri said during his meeting today Monday with the Union and members of the Lebanese Press Union that “Lebanon can endure weeks, but it cannot stand any longer, and the first priority is to elect a president of the republic.”
Berri renewed the request for consensus on this right, stressing that “in the face of the accumulation of crises, the largest of which is the economic one, since 80% of Lebanese are below the poverty line, in addition to electricity crisis on which we have spent tens of billions, and dialogue with the International Monetary Fund, all this. “It should lead to the rapid election of a President of the Republic”.
Berri reiterated that he will convene a session each week to elect a president, and he pledges to this, noting that the dialogue agenda he was about to ask for was just a consensus on the presidential election and a “point on the line.”
He stressed, in the context, that all the controversial stations that Lebanon went through ended with dialogue and consensus, from Taif to Doha to the dialogue tables at home, “Do we preach?”
The President of the Parliament also indicated that the security situation in Lebanon is strengthened.
The round of consultations begins
Today, on Monday, a new round of consultations and meetings was initiated ahead of the fifth session on Thursday to elect a new president for the country, in which political views are unanimously agreed that he will be the same as his predecessors in terms of result, because any team does not have the necessary quorum to deliver its candidate in the first round, or 86 deputies out of 128, or to resist the subsequent sessions, but it is possible to register “formal” changes closer to the maneuver, especially with some parliamentarians, especially within the “Hezbollah” alliance, the possibility of resorting to an option other than the White Paper.
It has not yet been decided. “Hizb allahAnd his allies decided in Thursday’s session, and whether they would put a name in the box or continue on the white paper option, but the constant lack of consensus so far on a candidate representing this team, despite rumors about the duo’s direction. “Hezbollah” and “Amal Movement” (led by Berri) in support of the head of the Marada Movement, Suleiman Franjieh, but no official adoption position has been issued, and it is currently unlikely to be announced in light of the veto imposed on of him by the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, deputy Gebran Bassil.
Franjieh, who in the last period has been active in politics and in the media, was unable to attend in the front row at the commemorative celebration of the “Taif Agreement”, held by the Saudi embassy in Beirut the day before yesterday, Saturday, after collecting enough votes to win, and the head of the “Socialist Progressive Party” closed on Sunday Walid Jumblatt, Al-Bab, called Franjieh, albeit temporarily, as Jumblatt is known for changing positions, especially if this is to please his longtime ally Berri.
MPs from the Free Patriotic Movement have begun to confirm the tendency to adopt an option other than the White Paper, to differentiate themselves from their allies, led by Hezbollah, but prefer not to reveal the details of the decision until the bloc meeting tomorrow, Tuesday. to officially announce the position. The movement’s step in proposing any name, be it internal to the party or independent, is put by its opponents in the box, because in reality there is no candidate for the movement except Basil.
As for the opposition, which mainly includes the progressive socialist parties, the Lebanese Forces (led by Samir Geagea) and the Lebanese Kataeb (led by MP Sami Gemayel), it is still holding on to its candidate, MP Michel Moawad, noting that some votes within them have begun to emerge, which suggests the possibility of it being “dropped” if the names were put on the table and discussed to reach a consensual candidate who would not fall into the “challenge” category.
The Change Deputies bloc is trying to reorganize and increase the number of its members, after suffering from the “rifts” and dispersion in its ranks, and the difficulty in reaching unified, clear and decisive decisions in many of the elections, led by the elections of the president.
The duo “Hezbollah” – “Development and Liberation” did not make their decision
A member of the Berri parliamentary bloc, “Development and Liberation”, Qassem Hashem, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the final position of Thursday’s session has not yet been made, but any decision we follow, with a white paper or else, it will be a stimulus for everyone to reach an understanding, “since we put the slogan of consensus as the basis for electing a president with national specifications able to dialogue with everyone, both internally and externally”, underlining: “We will don’t mention names just to present them, and the stage requires understanding and the country cannot tolerate the arrival of a rebel president. “
Regarding the high frequency of the media and political references to the duo’s intention to officially support Franjieh’s candidacy, Hashem indicates that “we know closely the extent to which our bloc appreciates and we want to bring Franjieh to the presidency. his name, because the basis is compatibility “.
Hashem added, “If we can convince others that Franjieh will be the consensual character, then this is what we prefer, but we won’t be proposing a specific name right now until circumstances are ripe,” considering, in context, that “Thursday’s session is likely to be like the one that preceded it, knowing that Lebanon is always a land of wonders and surprises.
On the part of “Hezbollah” seeking to rally the views of members of its political alliance, which is said to be working to persuade Basil to support Franjieh, a party parliamentary source indicated to “The New Arab” that “Basil Ain, Franjieh Ain, and consent is essential to announce our candidate. ” “.
He stressed that “our best option so far is the White Paper, but the meetings are open before issuing the decision”, stressing that “consensus is needed to fill the vacuum of the presidency, and the other team’s proposal to Michel Moawad comes only as a challenge ».
Bargaining for the Presidency has not yet begun
For his part, political writer Tony Issa told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “Thursday’s session is a continuation of previous sessions, that is, a repetition of presidential failure scenarios, and to date the presidential elections do not appear to be matured, above all because the forces in the field are on the front line. (Hezbollah), the strongest decision-maker in Lebanon, has not yet decided on the presidential figure.
Issa points out that “there is a specific agreement that may be needed, or a complete basket of elements of the regime structure that (Hezbollah) seeks before producing a new president, which is probably why the Saudis in Lebanon are mobilized. under the slogan of defense of the Taif agreement, perhaps because they feel there is a willingness to reconsider the composition of the Lebanese system, both at the presidency level and at the level of authority structure.
Furthermore, Issa believes that the inauguration of the Presidency of the Republic will inevitably include the presidency of the government and other elements related to the composition of the regime, similar to the settlement of Aoun-Saad Hariri in 2016, considering that “this profound collapse of its kind does not it can end without political repercussions. “
Issa believes that “Franjieh tried, in his presence on Saturday, to say that he could not be part of the coup against Taif or the current regime, and therefore there is no need for Arabs or Saudis to reject him, even if he is an ally of Syria, he is not hostile to the composition of the current regime, while on the contrary, the Free Patriotic Movement is classified as more repugnant to the current regime, so his participation in the celebration did not happen through Basil personally, unlike Franjieh .
On the other hand, the politician writes that “the presidential dossier is still in its infancy, and the discussion and negotiation have not yet begun on the question of the president of the republic”, and believes that “Basilico will never name anyone but himself, and the rest are maneuvers “.
According to Issa, “contrary to what everyone believes, or what is hesitant, Bassil is the real candidate (Hezbollah)”.
