The debate in the country has shifted to "the president first or the government," as the political daily interactions continue with only 24 days left in the constitutional timeframe to elect a new president. Meanwhile, social and economic unrest is on the rise, evidenced by repeated incidents of bank incursions by depositors. In this context, Speaker of the House Nabih Berri is preparing to call for a second session to elect the president in mid-month. This session will provide an indicator of the efforts made to elect a consensus president capable of salvaging the country; otherwise, its fate will resemble the previous one, making subsequent attempts uncertain in their outcomes, which would lead the country from one paralysis to another.
While communication intensifies among parliamentary blocs from the opposition to unify their ranks and gather support for candidate Michel Moawad in the session, no indication has yet emerged from the March 8 coalition suggesting urgency to elect the new president or at least to announce their candidate, whether it is Sleiman Frangieh of the Marada Movement or Jibran Bassil of the Free Patriotic Movement.
In this context, former MP Ali Darwish predicted that a government might be formed before the presidential election is completed, referencing the first election session, which indicates that electing a president in the second session is not guaranteed. He pointed out in an interview with "Anbaa," the possibility of forming a government if intentions are clear among the participating parties, revealing that the atmosphere before Prime Minister Najib Mikati's trip abroad was positive and warranted some modifications to the current government. However, upon his return, matters expanded, leading to genuine concerns over not satisfying all parties vying for specific gains at the expense of others. This has prompted the designated prime minister to reevaluate his options, especially since the new government requires parliamentary confidence. He is seriously considering his steps, indicating a strong urgency to form the government without specifying a timeline or offering probabilities, but stating that matters have arrived at an acceptable outcome. He declined to provide timeframes to avoid entering a realm of speculation.
