Member of the "Democratic Gathering," MP Marwan Hamada, confirmed that "the result of the French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian's tour did not make progress toward electing a president, but we have not returned to square one." In a statement to "Voice of Lebanon," he noted that "what occurred is a near agreement to abandon candidates Sleiman Frangieh and Jihad Azzar and begin searching for a third candidate." He pointed out that "this is what the French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian tried to establish during his recent visit to Beirut, and this matter will be raised at the five-nation meeting at the United Nations."
He indicated that "the third candidate being proposed is inevitably General Joseph Aoun," adding, "However, it has become clear from the stances of some, including Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement, that they have obstacles that prevent General Aoun from reaching the presidency. If he submits to the conditions of Bassil or Hezbollah, there will be no difference between him and Frangieh." He said, "A majority in the council has begun to lean toward dialogue in search of a centrist president."
Regarding President Berri's dialogue initiative, he confirmed that "if there is a formula for a meeting either in the legislative council or between rounds, it would serve to preserve the face of the initiative while simultaneously addressing the request to elect a president." On the fate of the vacuum, Hamada stated, "The matters are not yet mature, but the waiting time is not long in light of a series of alarming factors from Ain al-Hilweh to the displacement and discussions about an airport in the south," indicating that "the solution is not Lebanese but rather through internationalization and increased pressure."
