Independent MP Ghassan Skaff observed that the presidential obligation is witnessing a paralyzing and escalating failure, translated by the white paper from the so-called resistance forces, in contrast to the commitment of the sovereign team to constitutional procedures and the democratic principle by nominating MP Michel Moawad for the presidency. He thus considered that this tragic scene will persist as neither of the two sides has the capacity to decisively lean toward their presidential candidate. Notably, the intensity of the battle among the resistance ranks is more severe than that between them and the sovereign forces.
In a statement to "Anbaa," Skaff pointed out that Hezbollah is not keen on electing a president and is waiting for an Iranian signal that would clarify its stance, whether negative or positive, regarding the presidential obligation. Hezbollah, which has long called for a consensus president as the race intensified between the resistance and sovereign teams toward Baabda Palace, has reversed its position with Benjamin Netanyahu's return to power in Israel, now calling for a president who protects the resistance and embodies the equation of former Presidents Emile Lahoud and Michel Aoun. According to Skaff, this means Hezbollah is currently pursuing a strategy aimed at prolonging the presidential vacancy and transforming Lebanon into a mailbox for regional and international messages.
In response to a question, Skaff confirmed that former ministers Sleiman Frangieh and Jibran Bassil are competing within the resistance orchestra over the corpse of the Lebanese Republic, while the conductor, Hezbollah, stands between them, maintaining its support for Frangieh's presidential candidacy on one hand, and ensuring that its ally Michel Aoun, represented by Bassil, does not lose the Christian cover for its arms on the other. Skaff thus deduced that the scene of the battle within the resistance suggests that achieving the presidential obligation is contingent upon an understanding between Bnachii and Rabieh.
Regarding the crisis of unifying the presidential choice among the opposition, Skaff noted that MP Michel Moawad is currently the only seriously announced presidential candidate endorsed by the sovereign forces. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the change bloc are scattering opposition votes more than they are facilitating Dr. Issam Khalifa's arrival at Baabda, stemming from a lack of political maturity among some and ambiguous, under-the-table alliances among others, directly and indirectly serving the interests and aspirations of the resistance team.
On the possibility of reaching a presidential settlement based on "no winner, no loser," Skaff emphasized that the existing balance in parliament strongly indicates this possibility is real, but first, the white paper charade must end, depriving it of the quorum, while simultaneously arriving at an agreement between both sides on a list of names among which the candidates can compete, with the winner being declared. He noted that Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, despite Frangieh's preference by Hezbollah, may be the one most advancing toward the "no winner, no loser" settlement.
