The President of the Parliament, Nabih Berri, stated that the presidential election sessions have become a "failed play, and are of no value." Consequently, he plans to replace these sessions with a dialogue among political forces. In an interview with "Asharq Al-Awsat," Berri revealed that he has begun sending representatives to the political factions to gauge their opinions on the possibility of holding a national dialogue to reach a presidential election that would give Lebanese people hope of overcoming the serious crises affecting the country. He reiterated that "there is no point in calling for an election session amidst a lack of consensus and the balance of power in parliament." He believes that dialogue will replace the sessions unless there is an ability to reach consensus, in which case he would call the parliament as soon as possible.
In a separate discussion with the newspaper "Al-Jomhouria," Berri confirmed that he has started consulting with various parties domestically since yesterday regarding a dialogue initiative related to the presidential election that he intends to launch soon, aiming to save this entitlement and reach a consensus on electing a president for the republic in the near future, which would prevent the country from falling into a presidential vacuum with negative repercussions. Berri noted that based on the conclusions he gathers from the involved parties, he will act accordingly, hoping for positive outcomes that would lead to an immediate invitation for a dialogue session at the presidential palace in Ain el-Tineh, resulting in a consensus among political forces culminating in the election of a president.
Berri reiterated that "consensus remains fundamental, and this is what must happen, especially since the state of the country necessitates that everyone does everything possible to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese and enable them to move past this hardship. Without this consensus, we will continue to revolve in the same vortex."
