Political sources via "Al-Liwaa" noted that the visit of the head of the Marada Movement, Suleiman Frangieh, to the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Raï in Diman yesterday, although outwardly similar to past visits, this time signals the opening of the presidential battle, coinciding with the approaching presidential elections that are just around the corner and capturing the attention of the political arena, despite no significant figure having officially announced their candidacy for the position yet. The sources indicated that the visit marked the beginning of Frangieh's movement, starting from Diman, given the religious site's significance in launching the presidential battle amid the intensifying dispute between Patriarch Raï and President Michel Aoun, regarding the high-profile positions recently announced by His Beatitude, and the escalation of his criticisms of the presidential team's actions, as well as his specifications for the presidential candidate, most of which do not align with Bassil.
It was noted that Frangieh tried as much as possible to avoid declaring any harsh positions against any party during such an occasion, merely sending signals that he is the primary candidate for the presidency in this electoral round, contrary to some attempts to compete with him and seize the opportunity to run for the elections. The sources observed a decline in interest regarding the formation of the government, to the extent that it can be said that all political parties have omitted any mention of the issue of forming a new government from their stances and media appearances, as if they have resigned themselves to the notion that the formation of a new government is no longer feasible given the conflicts between President Michel Aoun and the Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati. Hence, it has become essential to shift focus to the presidential entitlement and concentrate on these elections from now on, as there is no more time to waste on disputes and counter-campaigns regarding government formation, which are ultimately fruitless.
The sources also noted the disappearance of the issue of forming a new government from the positions and media appearances of Hezbollah's MPs and leaders, along with calls to expedite the formation, contrasting with their previous stances, indicating that the party no longer prioritizes the formation of the new government, pending the outcomes of regional meetings and changes in multiple countries and regions.
