All internal and external warnings about the imminent disintegration of the Lebanese state and the collapse of its social system have not, and will not, stir the conscience of the ruling establishment. This includes the "testimony of a witness from among them," Major General Abbas Ibrahim, who warned at the Maronite League yesterday that "the imminent danger threatens Lebanon, and the inherited glory is on the verge of collapse," and the report from "Human Rights Watch," which noted that "the majority of people in Lebanon are unable to secure their social and economic rights." This prompted them, in light of poverty and food insecurity reaching "alarming levels" in Lebanon, to urge the World Bank to take "urgent measures to invest in a social protection system," given that "the Lebanese authorities do not guarantee the response to every individual's right to food."
Despite the worsening horrors and deteriorating conditions in Lebanon, the interests of those in power continue to control the course of the country and the fate of its people. The prevailing mentality of disruption and constitutional violations remains entrenched in the official performance under the weight of the 8th of March forces clinging to the reins of power and desperately preventing the election of a new president with reformative and sovereign qualities, which would lay the first stone in the foundation of a rescue project that puts an end to the collapse and restores order to constitutional institutions.
As the overarching theme of the presidential crisis has come to revolve around "the future of Gebran Bassil's political career," sources following the tense atmosphere between Bassil and "Hezbollah" revealed that former President Michel Aoun is preparing to hold a "nearby meeting" with the Secretary-General of "Hezbollah," Hassan Nasrallah, to discuss the new contentious issues "top of which is the presidential entitlement."
After the tensions between the two parties escalated to the level of media clashes and sensing the deadlock surrounding Bassil's attempt to maneuver "Hezbollah" in the presidential domain, Aoun decided to exert his influence to support and back the critical battle being fought by the head of the "Free Patriotic Movement." It is noted that during his anticipated meeting with Nasrallah, Aoun intends to firmly endorse Bassil's demands on the basis of "I am Gebran Bassil," considering him "the only deserving candidate for the presidency," while emphasizing the necessity for "the party" to support these demands at the very least "as a matter of gratitude" for all the support that the covenant and its movement have given him, whether domestically or in Arab and international forums.
At the same time, there have been indications that the 'party' should resolve the presidential dispute in a way that ensures the preservation of the spirit of the "Mar Mikhael Agreement," to prevent things from "heading towards the worse" in their mutual relationship. In this context, sources close to the Shiite duo conveyed information indicating that the message Bassil intended to deliver through his series of recent confrontational appearances is aimed at signaling that "the insistence on proposing Suleiman Franjieh will be met with his announcement of his candidacy, thereby placing 'Hezbollah' in a dilemma of choice between them, which would subsequently compel 'the party' to seek a third option as Bassil demands."
There is no oversight in noting that "some suggest the possibility that Bassil's systematic escalation in the presidential struggle with 'Hezbollah' is linked to his attempt to arrange his external papers, and he may have made significant progress in this direction during his recent foreign tours, and is now waiting for the opportunity to demonstrate his ability to differentiate himself from 'the party' by threatening to dismantle their established agreement."
