Ya Libnan

US wants Lebanon to elect its president before ceasefire with Israel

Share:

Baabda presidential chair awaits the new occupant of the palace after president Michel Aoun’s term expired on October 31 , 2022 . The US reportedly US wants Lebanon to elects its president before ceasefire with Israel

Two American officials told Axios that electing a president for Lebanon is a priority before a ceasefire with Israel.

They pointed out that Washington is pushing for the election of a president for Lebanon before a diplomatic solution, and added: “American envoy Amos Hochstein informed Prime Minister Najib Mikati that the priority now is to elect a president for Lebanon.

But according to Al-Jadeed TV Hochstein did not contact Prime Minister Mikati yet.

Hochstein denied reports the US gave Israel the green light to invade Lebanon , calling the reports irresponsible

Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon has prompted a renewed bid by some leading Lebanese politicians to fill a two-year-long presidential vacuum, an effort to revive the paralysed state as it grapples with an escalating conflict.

Lebanon has not had a president or a fully empowered cabinet since October 2022 due to a power struggle in which Hezbollah has played a big part. Along with its allies, the heavily armed Shi’ite Muslim group has insisted the post, reserved for a Maronite Christian, go to their Christian ally Suleiman Frangieh.

With Hezbollah reeling from the killing of its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the presidency came into renewed focus this week when Shi’ite Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, indicated flexibility on the matter, telling Caretaker PM Mikati he supported the election of a president who doesn’t represent “a challenge” to anyone.

A Hezbollah official told Reuters the group had delegated Berri to negotiate on its behalf over the presidency.

The presidency is decided by a vote in Lebanon’s 128-seat parliament. No single political alliance has enough seats to impose its choice, meaning an understanding among rival blocs is needed to secure the election of a candidate.

Following a meeting on Wednesday with Berri and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, Mikati – a Sunni Muslim – read a joint statement calling for the election of a “consensus president who will reassure everyone and dispel their concerns”.

Wael Abu Faour, a senior lawmaker from Jumblatt’s faction, told Reuters the election of a consensus president would send “a message to the outside world that there is a strong government in the country ready to negotiate” over a ceasefire.

The Lebanese Forces party, a major Christian faction and fierce Hezbollah opponent, on Monday called for the election of a president, saying this was the only way for “the state to assume its responsibilities on its own” – implicit criticism of Hezbollah over its possession of a massive arsenal of weapons.

Lebanon’s last president, Michel Aoun, was a former army commander and a key political ally of Hezbollah.

A senior Western diplomat who did not wish to be named said Western and Arab nations had been urging Lebanon’s politicians to elect a president, adding that it was also in the interest of Hezbollah for the political conundrum to be resolved so the state could take more of the “weight” of the Israel crisis.

Berri has been dreaming up plans to help Hezbollah in imposing its candidate by blocking any election sessions

Berri has been insisting that the only road to a presidential election is dialogue,  but to the opposition dialogue meant surrender to Hezbollah . 

Following the failure of the 12th round to elect a president in June 2023 , 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.

Share:

Comments

Leave a Reply