US sanctions await officials that disrupt Lebanon presidential election

The number three diplomat at the State Department urged Lebanon’s lawmakers to elect a new president this week ahead of a scheduled vote on Wednesday.

Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland had a constructive conversation with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri this week and thanked him for his willingness to try to maintain a quorum for a vote this week, State Department Spokesman Matt Miller told reporters.

Since last October, Lebanon has had no president or fully functioning government. Pro-Syria parties, including Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, are backing Suleiman Frangieh, who has long boasted of his close ties with Bashar al-Assad.

Opposition groups, the leading Christian parties, and the Progressive Socialist Party have thrown their support behind Jihad Azour, a former finance minister and current IMF senior official

While not endorsing either candidate, Miller, the State Department spokesman, called on parliament to “work to get that job done [electing a new president].”

Washington has refused to get dragged into backing any candidate despite unproven claims by Hezbollah and its affiliated media outlets.

“We remain committed to Lebanon’s sovereignty as we press the country’s leadership to adopt a sense of urgency in meeting the critical needs of the Lebanese people, starting with the selection of a president,” Miller said.

He added that US support for the Lebanese people was not a substitute for the work the Lebanese government, including the parliament, must urgently undertake to fulfill its responsibilities.

Another senior US diplomat previously said the Biden administration was considering sanctions on top Lebanese officials for their continued obstruction of electing a new president. And top lawmakers on the US House and Senate foreign affairs committees urged the Biden administration to do so to make clear to Lebanon’s political class that the status quo was unacceptable.

“We’re pleased to hear that [Nuland] has talked to Speaker Berri and emphasized the need, not only to call for a session to elect a new president but furthermore, called for him to keep the session open until a president is elected,” said Ed Gabriel, the president of the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL).

Al Arabiya/ News Agencies