The presidential election is coming to the forefront as the impossible formation phase seems to be nearing its end, unless unexpected developments occur in the coming hours. In this context, the visit of MP Gebran Bassil followed that of a delegation from the Lebanese Forces bloc to Bkerki, which included MPs Strida Geagea, Antoine Habshi, and former MP Joseph Issaak.
According to information obtained by "Al-Akhbar," the discussions focused on the presidential election, with the patriarch raising many questions and inquiring about the seriousness of the Lebanese Forces in nominating MP Michel Moawad, whom he deemed insincere, asking, "What comes next? Who is the candidate with significant chances?"
As per the information, Geagea informed the patriarch that "our true candidate is the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun," indicating that he "is the only one capable of confronting Hezbollah… and he has encouraging experiences in this regard."
According to monitoring sources, Geagea's statements signal the ongoing effort to break the presidential impasse involving what remains of the March 14 coalition along with the "Change" forces, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the vacuum, which could lead to tensions in the streets, thereby pushing for a consensus on the Army Commander as the only way out of the crisis. These forces are aware that the Army Commander is "not accepted by the other side, particularly by Bassil, who views him as a candidate for confrontation and not for compromise."
Additionally, the same sources suggest that the push towards naming Aoun is "not a local fabrication but has regional and international origins. Riyadh and Paris are encouraging Aoun's election, as he enjoys the trust of the United States." They noted that "this effort might prompt the other side to devise a counterplan, which cannot succeed if the forces known as March 8 continue their fragmentation and inability to agree on a presidential candidate."
