The newspaper "Al-Liwaa" pointed out that nothing suggests that the mission of the French President’s special envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, whose return to Beirut is scheduled for the 11th of this month, will come to a happy conclusion, as the data do not bode well. This follows the opposition forces' rejection of a dialogue proposed by Speaker of the House Nabih Berri, who wanted to pave the way for the arrival of the French envoy by calling for a dialogue, followed by consecutive sessions until the election of a new president to pull the country out of its crises and open a new page among the Lebanese.
It seems clear, after the positions announced in the past hours, that the disagreements have deepened among the political and parliamentary components regarding this dialogue, while the ruling team appears to be trying, as evident from the developments, to gather as many supporters as possible for Berri's call in order to portray the opposition as the only obstacle to this step. This comes after Bkerke, via Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi, announced its support for Berri's dialogue without conditions, which angered the opposition. This led to a phone call from the head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, to the Patriarch, where he informed him of his party and the opposition’s decision to reject the Speaker's invitation, arguing that past experiences do not encourage any form of this dialogue.
Amidst this bleak atmosphere, notable diplomatic activity is represented by the meetings held by ambassadors from the Quintet group, especially the tours conducted by the new Qatari ambassador, Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. These carry indications that Lebanon is not abandoned and that there are Arab efforts to prepare the atmosphere for the French envoy to achieve a breakthrough that leads to the election of a new president this month or the next at the latest, awaiting the political forces' readiness to respond to the Arab and international efforts aimed at rescuing Lebanon from its current troubled reality.
While Speaker Berri awaits the full responses to his call for dialogue, insiders indicate that he may reconsider what he proposed if he finds that prominent parliamentary blocs will boycott, which will certainly increase the obstacles to the presidential birth. Political opposition circles have expressed their fears of dire consequences due to the escalating displacement crisis, which is starting to take forms that threaten social stability in Lebanon, especially with the massive influx across illegal crossings, where smugglers operate without oversight. This has prompted the Lebanese Forces Party to call on the government "to take all necessary, urgent, and precise measures to prevent any infiltration from Syria, particularly from the northern and eastern sides into Lebanon, especially since the government is required to address the existing refugee crisis, not exacerbate it."
The circles highlighted that the burden of the displaced has grown far beyond the Lebanese capacity to bear, threatening to push matters out of control, and subsequently plunging the country into chaos with all possibilities, as the number of displaced persons is nearing that of Lebanese citizens.
As the political turmoil continues and leadership failures in finding common ground regarding ways out of the presidential impasse persist, economic and living concerns remain a top priority. The visit of Acting Governor of the Central Bank Wassim Mansouri to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia received attention, especially the discussions he held with several Saudi officials, alongside meetings he conducted on the sidelines of his participation in the Arab Banking Union conference. The attendees unanimously agreed on the importance of investing in Lebanon, provided that a new president is elected, and a government is formed to implement the necessary reforms for the country to exit its crisis.
