The "turnaround" led by the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, did not last long, as it was paving the way for a new chapter he perhaps wanted to open with Hezbollah. However, it collided with a firm stance held by the leader of the Mountain, which is to prevent a candidate from the March 8 forces from reaching the presidency, especially since there is an agreement between him and the opposition forces regarding the presidential qualifications, which should not include a confrontational figure or one associated with the Iranian axis. Therefore, this represents a key point that will play an important role in proposing a joint presidential candidate.
In political analysis, the shuttle diplomacy being led by Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari establishes him as a powerful player in the upcoming phase, aiming not to hand the country over to the party. He resumed his movements visiting Clemenceau to meet "Walid Bey," which carries significant implications on several fronts centered around the role that the Kingdom has begun to play in coordination with the French and Americans, which aims to:
First, to ensure that constitutional deadlines are met.
Second, to prevent the election of a president with Iranian characteristics.
Third, to try to revive a national phenomenon similar to the March 14 forces.
Fourth, to attempt to curb the movement of the leader of the Mountain towards the suburbs, persuading him to join the ranks of the forces opposed to the party, thereby representing a crucial weight in the political balance as "the egg of the scale."
All of this could lead to a unification among the political forces opposing the party, according to Western diplomatic sources, which reveal through "Akhbar Al-Yawm" agency what took place in the French-Saudi meeting held in the Parisian capital a week ago. The primary objective is to gather the largest number of opposing deputies behind a single presidential candidate to prevent the election of any figure supported by the party, uniting them around a common vision. Therefore, the sources hope that these forces will meet to bring forth a sovereign presidential candidate capable of placing Lebanon on the Arab track and the global map, paving the way for support and funds to flow back into Lebanon.
