Minister of Information Ziad Akkari pointed out that "we have moved from the Franjieh-Azour phase to the Franjieh-Joseph Aoun phase, and there is no third candidate besides them." He confirmed that "former Minister Suleiman Franjieh is a firm candidate supported by his allies and is starting from a base of 51 votes, which may rise in any upcoming session." He added in a conversation on MTV: "The arrival of Joseph Aoun is not easy as it requires a constitutional amendment, which necessitates consensus and this requires the approval of the Shiite duo, which still clings to Franjieh, and nothing has changed so far."