Minister of Information in the caretaker government, Ziad Mikati, expressed surprise during an interview with "OTV" regarding the uproar over the announcement by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah supporting the candidacy of Sleiman Frangieh, the head of the Marada movement. He stated, "From the beginning, it was clear that the Shiite duo supports Sleiman Frangieh's candidacy, and the statements that came out this week regarding this matter are a natural course for the presidential election process, especially since we may need some development to move the presidential file in light of the current stagnation."
He emphasized that "the talk about sovereignty and non-sovereignty is unacceptable; we are all sovereign and share a singular vision for Lebanon. The candidate Michel Moawad has always been a candidate of challenge and has not announced his readiness to reach out to others or speak of cooperation with a major political faction in the country called Hezbollah. On the other hand, former Minister Frangieh has repeatedly expressed his readiness to extend his hand to everyone, even to opponents before allies, and this is evident in his political practice, which he will continue in the same manner and approach."
Additionally, Minister Mikati described the positions of Lebanese Forces party leader Samir Geagea as "volatile," labeling him as having a "contradictory stance." He revealed that "dialogue with the Lebanese Forces is ongoing, but personally, I do not expect them to elect Frangieh, and if that happens, it will be a big surprise."
Regarding the level of Saudi satisfaction with Frangieh's candidacy and the movement of Ambassador Bukhari, he said, "If we want to simplify the scene, the solution has become in the hands of the Saudis. In my opinion, there is nothing negative from Saudi Arabia towards Frangieh, and the official Saudi position gives a positive signal to the country about the necessity of electing a president."
He continued, "To those who criticize Sleiman Frangieh for his Arabism, we say: He is the only Maronite Arabist in Lebanon. He believes in the Taif Agreement and in relations with the Gulf and the Arabs, which does not prevent him from having relations with other countries like Iran or France or others."
On the reliance on Saudi-Syrian rapprochement, he stated, "It is in Lebanon's interest for the regional atmosphere to be comfortable, and if matters ease between the Saudis, Syrians, and Iranians, and the Yemen crisis is resolved, it will positively reflect on Lebanon. I have no information that President Bashar al-Assad has intervened in the issue of Frangieh's candidacy, and we have an important factor, which is Frangieh's relationship with Assad. Syria will not return to Lebanon militarily or politically; it is suffering from a major crisis and needs a lot of time to resolve its issues. We need a president who can talk to the Syrians, not one who is subservient to them."
