For some time now, communication has been ongoing between the deputies of "The Free Patriotic Movement" and the opposition deputies in hopes of agreeing on a moderate name that would not provoke any party, for the purpose of voting for it in the first electoral session called by Speaker Nabih Berri. The discussions have been accompanied by a positive atmosphere despite skepticism about the difficulty of reaching an agreement between the two sides, particularly due to the lack of trust between "The Movement" and "The Lebanese Forces." However, some deputies with prior friendships from both sides have managed after many rounds of discussions and secret meetings away from the spotlight to narrow down viewpoints and unravel the presidential knots one by one, leading to the proposal of names, filtering them down to two last week.
Amid this optimism for rapprochement, Deputy Alan Aoun recently dropped a bombshell by stating that there is no possibility of agreeing on a name with the opposition in the face of the "Shiite duo," which nearly undermined what had been achieved. Many considered that the "presidential jar" had broken between the negotiating Christian parties. However, a source in "The Movement" confirmed to "Warda" that "the positions were misinterpreted, and communication is ongoing day and night, at an accelerated pace."
In the past few hours, there has been a positive development in Bassil's position on the candidacy of former minister Jihad Azour. In this context, the head of "The Movement," Deputy Gebran Bassil, mentioned a few days ago that "the direct communications we are undertaking have yielded initial directions, and we have not deviated from these understandings." Alongside this positivity, and despite the discussions about disagreements within "The Movement" regarding the presidential file, a statement from "The Movement" today underscored that its position on dialogue with the opposition and all blocs has been "positive since last July."
However, what surprised those betting on the impossibility of Christian-Christian consensus was the information that indicated a recent positive development in Bassil's stance on the nomination of former minister Jihad Azour for the presidency, with direct communication having taken place between him and the head of the "Kataeb" party, Deputy Sami Gemayel, as well as other opposition personalities.
In this regard, one opposition deputy confirmed to "Warda" that things are moving in a positive direction, and there is a near consensus between the opposition and "The Movement" on the name of Jihad Azour. Some discussions and negotiations are still ongoing regarding the preparation for the electoral session and securing guarantees to ensure adherence to the agreed-upon name until the end, rather than putting it forth for destruction, and ensuring a number of votes greater than half plus one to elect him to the presidency, especially since it is agreed upon by all negotiators.
Negotiations have made significant progress while waiting to reach conclusions. From "The Movement's" side, the statements and positions align with those of the opposition's sources. Although there is an acknowledgment that matters have not yet reached their final happy conclusions, one deputy from the "Strong Lebanon" bloc noted that negotiations have made important strides in anticipation of reaching conclusions, adding, "We are moving steadily in this direction, and we hope to agree on a candidate soon who does not pose a challenge to any party and is acceptable to the other party to achieve consensus and reach the presidency supported by various sides. The progress is substantial, and we may soon be facing announced steps," confirming that "the deputies of the Movement will commit to voting for the person agreed upon."
While those negotiating refuse to discuss numbers and statistics regarding the votes that their candidate may receive, considering that some independent deputies or those close to the opposition have not yet made their decisions, one of the change deputies confirmed that some of them will vote in favor of the name agreed upon between the opposition and "The Movement." They are counting on a few changers who haven’t made their decision yet to follow this direction. However, nothing is definitive, noting that if the "Shiite duo" continues to insist on its candidate Sleiman Frangieh, the presidential battle is expected to be fierce, and the difference between the loser and the winner may not exceed one or two votes.
