The presidential file has been postponed to 2023, given the impossibility of reaching an agreement in the remaining days of this year, while awaiting any glimmer of hope from beyond the borders. Information from "Al-Liwaa" indicates that an extensive meeting took place between Sunni political references and forces, managed by a governmental reference whose identity remains undisclosed, to discuss the developments of the upcoming phase regarding all files, in order to coordinate and communicate after the Cabinet meeting and the political and sectarian tensions that accompanied it, along with exchanges and disputes. On this backdrop, the meetings will remain open as there are other matters that do not depend solely on the presidential elections, including the identity of the next Prime Minister. This is being studied among the aforementioned references in preparation to inform some Arab parties about what is happening.
Sources familiar with the situation indicate that a Sunni consensus figure is needed, one that has Arab Gulf and international backing during the upcoming term. This would enable effective work and communication with all internal and external political components, unlike the recent growing dispute with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. According to these sources, this highlights the recent meeting between the caretaker Prime Minister and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, during which the ice was broken between the two parties, granting Mikati some maneuvering space both domestically and internationally.
It was revealed that Mikati received a call from French President Emmanuel Macron, during which they discussed the presidential entitlement and what accompanied the recent Cabinet sessions. For this purpose, Macron intends to meet Mikati if he comes to Beirut, to establish a functioning framework for the caretaker government to receive external and French support, in order to mitigate the economic and financial collapse and prevent the worsening of social conditions and potential explosions.
