Deputy Ghassan Skaf confirmed that "Patriarch Bechara al-Raï is headed to the Vatican to urge Pope Francis to intervene in the election of a president for the republic." He revealed that "efforts and communications are being made away from the media to seek an agreement on a basket of proposed names or those outside it. However, there are differences regarding the mechanism that may be followed and the seriousness of producing a president for Lebanon quickly, knowing that this step requires the support of President Berri."
Regarding the possibility of agreeing on Deputy Michel Moawad, Skaf urged the "other team, which has several names including Sleiman Frangieh, Gibran Bassil, and others, to nominate their candidate." He pointed out that "what we have seen so far is that Moawad's numbers have come close to the white paper," while simultaneously ruling out a consensus on him due to Hezbollah's position, which considers him a challenging candidate.
Skaf emphasized that "Moawad could be a consensus candidate, but the paradox lies in Hezbollah's fundamental condition and insistence on naming the president they want, who can protect the resistance's back, while we want a president who will not betray the nation or the country." He called for "agreeing on more than one name and allowing the democratic process to take its course through a basket of three names to elect one of them," noting that "this topic seems to be receiving a response, as the Lebanese are fed up with folkloric sessions."
He revealed that "for more than a month, he has been in communication with all parties, parties, and parliamentary blocs to reach a common denominator, as the country can no longer afford the luxury of time, given that the Lebanese have reached the bottom of hell and need a president to lift the country out of the crises it is entangled in, not just a president to fill the void."
