Berri continues to block Lebanon presidential election: “No dialogue No president”, he says

Lebanon’s parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was quoted as saying: .

“Without dialogue, there will be no president,”

He made the comment during an interview with the pro-Hezbollah newspaper al-Akhbar

Ever since president Michel Aoun’s term ended on 31 October 2022, the Lebanese parliament has not been able to elect a president to replace Aoun, primarily because Berri has been using his position as the speaker to block the election

Berri himself is very week politically but derives all his strength from the heavily armed Hezbollah

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia group imposed the election of Aoun on the Lebanese parliament in 2016 and has been trying to duplicate the scenario with its candidate Suleiman Franjieh but so far has failed because it longer commands a majority in the parliament

Berri has been dreaming up plans to help Hezbollah in imposing its candidate by blocking any election sessions and reverting to his old tricks of manipulation and corruption

“In the heavily corrupted Lebanon Berri is known to be the father of corruption” Ali Hussein a Lebanese political analyst told Ya Libnan

He insists that the only road to a presidential election is dialogue

But why ?

The candidate of Hezbollah and that of the opposition are both well known

Neither the opposition nor Hezbollah are expected to change their minds during the dialogue talks

In the end the proposed dialogue will be a waste of time and could result in political assassinations by Hezbollah of opposition leaders that will oppose their candidate .

This won’t be the first time for Hezbollah to assassinate its rivals

Flawed election system 

Lebanon’s presidential election system has come under scrutiny in recent years due to its inherent flaws and the potential for undemocratic outcomes. 

The current system, which requires a candidate to secure a two-thirds majority in the first round, often leads to situations where even a candidate with the support of 65 % of the parliament in the first round may fail to secure victory. It is imperative to reconsider this system and explore alternative approaches to ensure a fair and representative electoral process, according to analysts

In the most recent election the candidate of the opposition , former minister Jihad Azour secured 59 votes of the 128 member parliament in the first round while his opponent ” Franjieh” the Hezbollah and Amal backed candidate secured 51 votes . At the end of the first round the MPs of Hezbollah and its allies and their candidate walked out of the parliament and declared victory . The speaker who is a very close ally of Hezbollah decided to end the election session. This scenario could have repeated itself if Franjieh was in the lead . The Lebanese election system is therefore to blame for the impasse.

According to analysts the current presidential election system in Lebanon is in dire need of reform. The existing two-thirds majority requirement in the first round, coupled with the potential quorum issues in the second round, has resulted in undemocratic outcomes and a lack of faith in the process. By adopting the “half plus one” system in the first round, Lebanon can move towards a more representative and inclusive electoral process, ensuring that the will of the majority prevails. It is crucial for the Lebanese lawmakers to address these concerns and work towards a fairer presidential election system that upholds the principles of democracy and strengthens public trust in their democratic institutions.

Amending article 49 of the constitution is the key to fair elections 

Instead of wasting time on fake dialogue and arms twisting Speaker Nabih Berri should immediately call for a session to amend Lebanon’s current flawed presidential election system as per article 49 of the constitution

Commenting on Berri’s comment , Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Thursday that he hopes Berri is following the news on exactly what is happening in France.

French parliamentarians at the National Assembly re-elected Thursday a speaker after three rounds of vote.

“I hope you followed how democratic voting at the National Assembly happened in an open session with successive rounds,” Geagea told Berri, blaming Berri for obstructing the election sessions

“The “half plus one” system in the first round is currently being used to elect a Speaker and designate the Prime Minister , why should it be any different for the president ?” Analysts say.