The Head of the National Council for Audiovisual Media, Abdel Hadi Mahfoud, stated that the primary factor in government formation is international, noting that the political and sectarian clashes and the exchanged messages among parties are obstacles to government formation, an issue that won't easily cease.
In an interview on the program "Lebanon Today" broadcast by "Television Lebanon," Mahfoud explained that the fundamental factor in the government formation process is international, indicating that the French initiative received initial approval from the former American administration but was linked to conditions regarding the demarcation of land and maritime borders and indirectly pushing Lebanon toward normalization with Israel, which has not occurred.
Mahfoud continued that when President Trump realized that the French initiative might succeed, he wielded the sword of sanctions against Lebanon and certain parties, thus hindering that initiative. He pointed out that there is now a relative momentum returning to that initiative with the arrival of the new American administration and the presence of some positive data regarding Lebanon.
Regarding the Beirut port explosion, Mahfoud stated, "Six months after the explosion, another six months will pass, and we will still not know who committed this crime against the Lebanese people." He noted that there are intertwined and complex factors preventing the truth from being known, considering that there is a form of international obfuscation, explaining that it was said at one point that the perpetrators were non-Lebanese entities, only to have this statement suddenly retracted, disregarding the possibility of an Israeli strike without verifying its truth, along with the internal political and sectarian entanglement, and the potential connection to government formation issues.
Mahfoud demanded that the political authority address the wounds of the people and focus on the families of the martyrs and the injured who fell as a result of the explosion, after the state's lack of attention in this regard. He called for pressure in favor of the families of the martyrs and the injured, who enjoy the solidarity of all Lebanese, distancing their demands from political and sectarian alleyways, as all Lebanese are affected by the corruption in the country.
Mahfoud pointed to the existence of American-Iranian understandings regarding the nuclear file, including consideration of the Lebanese situation and a different approach to "Hezbollah," with the party's consent to a government of specialists, according to the French initiative. He considered that the matter of government formation is accelerating in the international context, as evidenced by the Americans returning to discuss demarcation negotiations and the positive movement of the American ambassador in this direction, along with the protocol call that French President Macron made to President Michel Aoun alone.
Mahfoud asserted that Lebanon will not fall under Iranian guardianship or any other form of guardianship, explaining that President Biden wants the Americans to control the international system while allowing broad margins for regional systems, with the roles of Iran, Turkey, and Russia remaining. He continued that there will be an adaptation to the Iranian situation, and the Iranian role will have more impact in the Gulf region than in Lebanon, indicating that the situation will begin with easing pressure on Hezbollah and a new approach toward it regarding the French window and the Lebanese presidency, which governs the relationship between the party and the Free Patriotic Movement.
Mahfoud considered that the American-Iranian understandings will have positive effects on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with the protection of the Kurds, unlike Biden's relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which was better under Trump, noting that Biden’s policy is based on the approach adopted by former President Barack Obama.
Regarding the visit of the designated Prime Minister Saad Hariri to Egypt, Mahfoud noted that Hariri is trying to obtain a Saudi green light through his visit to Egypt as Cairo plays an important role in this regard, and prioritizing internal understandings over any other considerations is a positive element for Hariri.
