A meeting of the Five-Nation Committee regarding the presidential election with President Nabih Berri outlined the roles of the Speaker of the Parliament and the committee in two aspects: firstly, that the election is primarily a Lebanese matter, which concerns the blocs and factions represented in Parliament, and secondly, that the role of the committee is supportive; thus, it does not replace Lebanese initiatives in practical steps or in proposing any name for the presidency.
Informed political sources told "Al-Liwaa" that the meeting between the committee ambassadors and the Speaker of Parliament, marked by a collaborative atmosphere, did not diverge from expectations regarding Berri's endorsement of any efforts aimed at completing the presidential elections. They noted that the ambassadors explained their next steps concerning further meetings before presenting their findings to the relevant parties. The discussion did not touch on a list of names or specific proposals. It was emphasized that the Speaker's role in facilitating communications regarding this issue was confirmed and that the topic would be revisited during French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian's visit to Beirut.
These sources observed that the ambassadors' initiative is gaining momentum, although there is no specific schedule for their upcoming meetings or information on which political forces would be included. The significant point, according to well-informed sources, is the launch of local efforts with Arab and international support to achieve the electoral process and put it on the practical track, independent of any military or diplomatic developments.
It was agreed between Berri and the Five-Nation Committee that the completion of the electoral process should not be delayed, given the difficult challenges faced by the region and Lebanon's need for stable governance and an end to internal divisions. Berri emphasized to the committee members that the presidential election is the responsibility of Parliament and that discussions should occur among the parliamentary blocs. While Berri described the stance as unified and the meeting as beneficial and promising, informed sources stated that the atmosphere was more than positive.
The ambassadors of the "Five-Nation Committee" asked Berri about the required solution for reaching an agreement, prompting him to discuss the value of dialogue. However, he reminded them he had previously called for dialogue, which was disregarded due to a lack of comprehensive political response to his initiative in the past months. Yet, he reiterated the importance of national dialogue for electing a president, noting that the crisis is political, not constitutional, as evidenced by the Parliament's meeting to extend the term of Army Commander Joseph Aoun.
Johnson described the meeting as excellent, while Ambassador Magro revealed that the ambassadors' position was unified and that they would soon meet with Lebanese political leaders. Ambassador Moussa confirmed, "We will meet and agree on everything, and the Five-Nation Committee's position is unified." The ambassadors will submit a report to the expected mid-next month Five-Nation Committee meeting before sending back mediator Jean-Yves Le Drian to Beirut.
According to diplomatic sources, the Five-Nation Committee ambassadors expressed the committee's readiness to play a mediating role between Lebanese political forces if necessary, either through one of the ambassadors or an envoy.
