Preparatory communications regarding the upcoming election for the new parliamentary council presidency and its bureau have not yielded any tangible results so far, amid political reviews conducted by various teams against the backdrop of skyrocketing dollar prices. Sources informed "Al-Jumhuriya" that communications over the past 48 hours have indicated that President Nabih Berri will be elected as the president of the council for a seventh term in the first round, with votes likely exceeding 65. As for the vice presidency, it remains a subject of negotiation among four names whose chances fluctuate based on each team's calculations.
Sources close to Ain al-Tineh confirmed to "Al-Jumhuriya" that Berri, in his capacity as the oldest member, will call for a session to elect the council president and vice president within the 15-day timeframe. They stated, "The time is still within the available period, as all the blocs and newly elected members are still in a phase of reading, political reviews, and acquaintance. Therefore, at the appropriate time, President Berri will set the date for the session."
Regarding the position of the Free Patriotic Movement and its leader, MP Gebran Bassil, on voting for Berri as the sole uncontested candidate for the presidency, and whether it is true that "Hezbollah" is working on any mediation, sources said: "Firstly, we did not ask and will not ask, and 'Hezbollah' is fully aware of our position. We do not await their position, nor do we care about it, and we do not depend on it at all; they are not in our considerations." Sources from the Free Patriotic Movement indicated after a meeting of the movement's MPs yesterday that there was no discussion on this matter, and the stance remains the same (not to elect Berri as president), as stated by Gebran Bassil before the elections when he said there was no need, and he reiterated this in his victory speech. No new developments have occurred that would change the answer, and it will not change.
Additionally, "Al-Liwaa" learned that a group of "Change Forces" MPs continues its meetings to reach common approaches regarding all issues and obligations facing them and the new parliamentary council. Sources in the group stated that the focus also includes solidifying cooperation and agreement among members and facilitating the achievement of common goals. The sources explained that there are various issues agreed upon as priorities, the most important of which is addressing the living concerns of citizens following the severe deterioration they have experienced.
The sources clarified that the group is working on organizing itself internally by looking into its parliamentary functioning mechanisms and forming a general secretariat for the coalition. They confirmed, however, that a final decision had not yet been made on how to address the election of the council president, whether by not voting for President Berri or by casting a blank ballot as suggested by MP Mark Daou. They stated, "When the oldest member calls for a session, we will discuss the matter in detail, but the bloc, with all its 13 members, will be on the same stance."
Moreover, the political deadlock and the absence of settlements among the active forces have resulted in an additional decline in the dollar exchange rate, with the dollar rate against the Lebanese lira reaching 34,000 lira, marking its lowest drop in history, while in some trades, it approached 40,000 lira, amid a political stalemate and fragmentation of options and proposals, despite calls for a constitutional path to complete the necessary obligations and initiate the internationally required reform plan.
The newly elected parliament must convene within 15 days after the previous council's term ended (which concluded last Sunday) to elect a new president, vice president, and bureau. This will be followed by the president's invitation for binding parliamentary consultations to appoint a new prime minister to replace the caretaker government. However, no indicators of a decisive date for the anticipated parliamentary session have yet appeared, amid ongoing disagreements and divisions among political forces regarding whether to re-elect Council President Nabih Berri.
