In light of the absence of dialogue among all political forces and increasing disagreements within the same team regarding the specifications of the next president, Lebanese consensus is at the mercy of regional and international developments. Moreover, the mechanisms for forming authority locally will once again remain hostage to Maronite-Maronite disputes and sectarian bidding over the presidency.
While the public is being distracted by summits and conferences, there appears to be a serious search for electing a president against the backdrop of financial and economic indicators heading towards further collapse. The exchange rate of the dollar in the black market is perhaps the clearest indicator, having surpassed 46,000 Lebanese pounds for one dollar this morning, in a scene that can only be described as dramatic.
Thus, Lebanon has transitioned from a lawless jungle to an overarching dramatic, if not tragic, play, pushing citizens to the brink of frustration, madness, and despair. Its repercussions could be devastating as they might devastate what remains of the state’s concept and its entity, possibly leading to security chaos.
In any case, everyone now realizes that local forces are incapable of reproducing and forming authority, meaning that external intervention is required to determine the identity of the president. This process seems more like imposition than a conciliatory attempt to gain agreement from the parties involved.
What was particularly noticeable yesterday was France's stance, articulated by Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who urged Lebanese leaders to "assume their responsibilities in facilitating the swift election of a new president in Lebanon and forming a fully empowered government capable of implementing the reforms that Lebanon desperately needs."
In this context, there is a complete absence of the opposition team supporting MP Michel Moawad, and likewise, the March 8 forces are also in a difficult position. The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gibran Bassil, refuses to support the candidacy of former minister Sleiman Frangieh, threatening to sever ties between him and the party, signaling Bassil’s separation from his only ally in the Lebanese arena.
According to information for "Akhbar al-Yawm", serious bilateral and trilateral discussions are currently ongoing among Ain al-Tineh, Bkerke, Maaraab, and Rabieh regarding a third candidate to replace Moawad and Frangieh, especially in light of the crisis over the position and the impossibility of either reaching the presidency.
