Title: Berri: No Retreat from Consultation for the Election of Lebanon's President

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that there will be no retreat from consultation as a condition for inviting deputies to a presidential election session. In response to a question about who calls for and oversees these consultations, he stated that consultation is the necessary path to achieve this political milestone, emphasizing its importance repeatedly. He expressed that the justifications some people have for rejecting consultation are unfounded, questioning how to resolve the presidential election impasse while some insist on their positions and show no readiness to facilitate the election process. Lebanon currently faces a flurry of political initiatives, with the latest coming from the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, who aimed to initiate his search for a presidential settlement with a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi yesterday (Sunday), followed by a gathering with Berri today (Monday).