In the backdrop of parliamentary discussions and political clubs, as revealed by "Al-Markaziya" about a week ago, there is talk that the Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri, may not call for sessions to elect a President of the Republic in December, following the session expected tomorrow, Thursday, which he is likely to postpone to early next year. This is due to the fact that the last month of the year is a holiday season, and he wants to utilize it to hold a range of communications with parliamentary blocs away from the spotlight to formulate an understanding on the characteristics of the anticipated president. This would follow a review of suggested names and the creation of a shortlist of two or three names at most, with the results then presented to foreign countries concerned with the Lebanese issue to gauge their opinions, in accordance with external calls for an agreement. This would enable the international community to provide assistance once it becomes possible to choose one of the names based on an external settlement that aligns with internal requirements, allowing the key information to reach the right people, leading to the election of a candidate from the prepared list as one of the choices of the Lebanese.
Member of the Development and Liberation Bloc, MP Qassem Hashem, does not rule this out but not before the holiday season. He noted to "Al-Markaziya" that the matter is in President Berri’s hands, who has not severed communication and dialogue lines with Lebanese components and parliamentary blocs, conducting this work away from the media to ensure the success of his efforts following the rejection of the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces blocs to respond to his previous call for dialogue. He adds, in response to a question, it is natural for the communications to address the specifications of the future president before delving into the names, and this follows a specific mechanism for this purpose. The Speaker, known for his ability to dialogue and navigate complex situations, is capable of providing a basket of names to compete among themselves for later election, but this remains contingent upon the parties' cooperation, which seems unlikely at present due to the existing political and parliamentary division, accompanied by aggressive rhetoric and a high ceiling regarding the election of the future president and addressing ongoing issues.
