A few months remain before the end of President Michel Aoun's term, and Lebanon appears to be at a crossroads: either a prolonged vacuum that will bring more crises, or presidential elections held on schedule, which could be the first step in a long journey towards solutions and rescue. In this context, a knowledgeable parliamentary source stated, through "Akhbar Al-Yawm" agency, that we are not only at the end of a term but at the end of a critical political phase between parliamentary elections that led to specific results and the presidential entitlement. Thus, this situation can be approached on two levels: either continuing the political confrontation that has persisted for six years, which will lead to further losses, tension, division, and fragmentation, or preparing for the upcoming foundational phase. Therefore, it may be justified to address the issue of government formation "indifferently," as what can the government accomplish at the end of a political phase, with no expected achievements.
In this regard, the source noted that there is no interest for the designated Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in the last four months of the term, to move towards concessions, compromises, or deals with the current administration, stating: "It is true that he does not want to create problems, but at the same time, all forces must create the conditions and atmosphere for the next phase, which is the presidential elections and beyond."
The source pointed out that this phase does not start in the coming September with the beginning of the constitutional timeline, but should commence as soon as possible through relevant consultations to mature the constitutional path within the constitutional deadlines that culminate in the election of the president without entering into a single day of vacuum. He concluded: all that is otherwise is merely wasting time and leads to no result.
