The Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi has shifted from discussing generalities to directly addressing the presidential crisis, playing a central role in resolving the ongoing vacancy in the presidential office. Political and spiritual meetings held in Bkirki have moved into deep exploration of presidential solutions. The Patriarch rejects placing the blame for the stalemate solely on the Christians and is working hard to find common ground among the parties, aiming at filtering the list of potential candidates.
The meeting of Al-Rahi with both the head of the "Mard" movement, Sleiman Frangieh, and the head of the "Free Patriotic Movement," MP Gebran Bassil, was not routine. He directly addressed Bassil, holding his Christian bloc responsible for the existing vacuum for refusing to attend the second session for the presidential election. Frangieh was not spared from the Patriarch's anger either; Al-Rahi directly expressed his astonishment at Frangieh being a presidential candidate while his bloc boycotts the sessions and his allies do not vote for him. This led Frangieh to leave after the meeting in Bkirki, stating that his name is seriously proposed for the presidency, but he has not declared his candidacy yet.
The country is currently experiencing a judicial, financial, and economic crisis, which also applies to the candidacies of the Maronite allies of "Hezbollah," namely Bassil and Frangieh. Each aspires to the presidency, but neither dares to announce their candidacy and attend the election sessions like MP Michel Moawad of the "Independence Movement," who is appreciated by Bkirki for this stance.
The dispute between the caretaker Minister of Defense, Maurice Slim, and Army Chief General Joseph Aoun appears to be the "last straw," prompting Bkirki to summon the Defense Minister and reprimand him for his statements calling for the dismissal of the Army Chief, leading Slim to retract his remarks from the Bkirki podium.
The presidential file remains the primary concern for Maronite politicians, spiritual leaders, and administrators. In this context, "Nidaa al-Watan" learned that Al-Rahi informed those he met that all the Maronite candidates are sons of this sect, and he does not prefer one candidate over another nor interferes in selecting a name. However, he expects MPs to attend election sessions and stop the cycle of obstruction.
In recent hours, efforts and communications have emerged, led by Patriarch Al-Rahi, involving several influential countries, primarily France and Saudi Arabia, aiming to secure an Arab cover, led by Riyadh, to push forward the election of a president. Simultaneously, Bkirki and Paris seek international momentum to activate the presidential process. Bkirki keeps communication lines open with the "Lebanese Forces" and respects their insistence on nominating Moawad, who is proceeding according to the democratic mechanisms outlined in the constitution, which is electing a president in the parliament, not through imposition or obstruction.
Recent meetings among the sovereign forces reveal that Moawad is not fixed on his candidacy indefinitely; he is willing to concede to a candidate who aims to build a state and believes in the sovereign project and the state's institutions. However, he will not relinquish his candidacy to pave the way for a president from the March 8 alliance, whether Frangieh, Bassil, or others.
Contrary to rumors, there is no rift within the sovereign Christian team, and there remains a Christian consensus in this team supporting Moawad's candidacy. In this context, the number of MPs backing Moawad stands at 30, distributed among 19 from the "Lebanese Forces," 4 from the "Lebanese Phalanges," 2 from the "Independence Movement," and independent Christian MPs: Neemat Afram, Jamil Aboud, Jean Talouzian, Michel Daher, and Najat Saliba.
The emergence of the Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt seeking a centrist candidate poses a setback for the sovereign team. However, Jumblatt has not crossed over to the other side nor abandoned Moawad for a March 8 candidate; he wishes to reach a consensus on electing a centrist president, which implies keeping communication lines open between the "Lebanese Forces" and the "Socialist Party." Therefore, Maarab will intensify its contacts with sovereign forces and independents to maintain a united position and avoid fracturing the opposition front.
