Eyes are on New York today as the Lebanese presidential crisis is expected to be discussed behind the scenes during the UN General Assembly as representatives of the "International Quintet" hold a meeting. Meanwhile, positions remain unchanged: the opposition refuses dialogue and demands a session for consecutive electoral rounds, ready to consider any consensual candidate. Meanwhile, Hezbollah and its allies insist on dialogue with other forces and sitting at a table that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri may call for, to be chaired by his deputy Elias Bou Saab, but despite their enthusiasm for dialogue, they cling to their candidate, Sleiman Frangieh, head of the Marada Movement.
In addition to international efforts, it is rumored that the Qatari envoy may arrive in Beirut at the beginning of the week, aiming to alleviate obstacles and work to convince all parties that a third name must be considered. Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naeem Qassem pointed out that "the only positive and open path today for electing a president is the path of dialogue. This path is a dialogue not necessarily linked to achieving a result, though ideally, it would achieve one. We must sit together to discuss our shared future in the country. Can’t we talk to one another? This opens the door for electing a president. Today, anyone who rejects dialogue is responsible for the disruption and delay in the presidential elections."
He continued, "Dialogue may be merely for discussion and might not lead to an agreement. But with stubbornness and obstruction, Lebanon will not be for a single group; we want Lebanon for all its citizens. Without a rescue plan, it is impossible to restore depositors' rights, save public schools and universities, handle health and medical needs, provide justice, achieve development, and liberate the land. This requires a president who does not prolong the vacuum through selfishness. No attempts to seize power can lead to the election of a president." He added, "The leadership and political sizes are known; the nervous and those making daily high-stakes statements will only bring about more deterioration and ruin. We want, with the honorable, to rebuild and save the country. It seems things are not ripe yet, but time will not bring miracles. Every moment we lose increases the losses without benefit. I hope the conscience of these stubborn individuals awakens to cooperate with their compatriots to achieve this entitlement."
For his part, Development and Liberation bloc member MP Hussein Khreis stated that "those who refuse dialogue, especially at this sensitive and precarious stage, do not want to elect a new president and are seeking to keep the country's crisis open, especially since the country's crises are escalating further. Therefore, we affirm that this is not in anyone's interest. Let us come together in a common word and respond to Speaker Berri's call for dialogue and the election of a president."
Amid this political stalemate and following a reprimand from the International Monetary Fund to the Lebanese political class for not implementing any of the necessary reforms to overcome the economic-financial crisis plaguing Lebanon, Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, and an official delegation left Beirut for New York to participate in the opening of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and its associated activities. While in New York, Minister Bou Habib will have a series of meetings and communications to discuss Lebanese and regional issues.
