"Democratic Gathering" Will Continue Its Tours... and Engages with the Vatican

The visit of the delegation from the "Democratic Gathering" bloc, led by MP Taymour Joumblatt, to Bkerke yesterday aimed to reinforce the bloc's call for the election of a president for the republic "today before tomorrow, as the return to constitutional order and the state's institutions begins first with the election of the president," according to MP Rajee Saad following the delegation's meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi. He affirmed that "the name of the army commander is at the forefront of the proposed presidential candidates, and if the two-thirds quorum for his election is secured, then constitutional amendment will be a mere formality." The sources indicated that the "Democratic Gathering" delegation will continue its tour in the coming days to meet with leaders and officials from various parties. At the same time, it revealed that the movement of the head of the "Progressive Socialist Party" included communication with the Vatican through papal envoy Monsignor Paolo Borgia to discuss the Lebanese situation in general and the prospects of the presidential elections specifically. It pointed out that Joumblatt's position is final in opposing bypassing Christian blocs in the presidential election process, as it is unacceptable for the Shiite component to have the final say in the second presidency and similarly for the Sunni component in the third presidency, while ignoring the significant Christian blocs' orientations regarding the first presidency position.