Stagnation is the theme of the presidential file; nothing on the horizon indicates momentum towards elections. The Quintet Committee moved at the end of last month through its ambassadors in Beirut, exploring the possibility of advancing this file before their ministerial meeting in one of their capitals prior to envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian's visit to Beirut. However, the committee did not meet, nor did Le Drian attend, and there are no updates on their movements except for a meeting that ambassadors of the quintet are said to be holding today at the French Embassy in the Pine Palace.
In light of this activity, sources monitoring the quintet's movements informed "Al-Jumhuriya" that they have no information about the committee's actions during this period. In any case, any movement from the committee affirms that the presidential file remains under follow-up and interest, but what is essential is that the movements yield results in the end.
The sources noted that the quintet committee, as confirmed by its ambassadors in their recent meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri, is essentially a support group for the Lebanese aimed at facilitating the election of a president. They have no official candidate nor do they veto any candidates. This means that the core of their actions revolves around Lebanese involvement in the presidential file. It confirms the intention of arriving at a presidential solution through consensus among the political components in Lebanon, although the internal atmosphere remains far from encouraging.
This is further validated by the stances of various parties and their obstructive conditions and their refusal to engage in dialogue that could pave the way for such consensus. In this context, Ain al-Tineh does not indicate any new initiatives from President Berri, nor does it confirm what has been said about consultations he is conducting in preparation for calling a session to elect the president during what is referred to as "the Ramadan recess." Reliable sources clarified to "Al-Jumhuriya": there are no consultations, neither during the recess nor afterward.
The sources emphasized that President Berri's priority is to reach a positive resolution on the presidential file and quickly elect a president. He has initiated a series of calls to agree on a president since before the vacancy occurred, and he reaffirmed this consensus before the quintet ambassadors, expressing his readiness to positively accompany any efforts from them that would help bridge differences among the Lebanese and initiate dialogue to reach the desired consensus.
From here, the same sources affirm that he has no new initiative; rather, his call is ongoing and open for all political components to meet under any title, whether it be consultation or dialogue, to agree on resolving this issue and electing a president in a session he invites to subsequent electoral rounds.
The sources confirmed that President Berri is prepared to call for a session to elect a president today before tomorrow if he senses that 86 deputies or more will attend this session and provide the quorum needed for the meeting and voting. However, securing the 86 deputies amid the current conflicting reality is impossible.
In this context, Berri states: “Let the two-thirds quorum be secured now, and I will invite the session immediately.” He affirms that consensus among the Lebanese is possible and not impossible, as evidenced by the recent agreement that led to the extension of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and the heads of security agencies. He believes that just as they were able to reach an agreement in that regard, they can also sit, discuss, and agree on electing a president. The fundamental condition is genuine intentions and the real decision and will for consensus to finalize the election of a president as soon as possible.
In a related presidential context, "Al-Jumhuriya" reported that the National Moderation Bloc will begin a media-free initiative this week towards parliamentary blocs to gauge their views on possible agreements on common grounds between those calling for dialogue sessions and other blocs advocating for consecutive electoral sessions to elect the president.
Member of the bloc, MP Ahmad Khair, confirmed to "Al-Jumhuriya" the validity of this approach, explaining that it stemmed from the bloc's visits to the Speaker of Parliament and the Prime Minister and religious authorities, as part of their efforts to bridge opinions among parliamentary blocs and political forces, hoping that this will lead to consensus that aligns with the movements of the quintet committee which will meet at the ambassador level in Beirut today (Tuesday), and which aims to create an opportunity to accomplish the presidential entitlement regardless of the war in Gaza and the ongoing regional tensions.
He added: "If we identify some ideas or understandings during our tour of the parliamentary blocs, or achieve a positive result and our communications succeed, our efforts might rise to the level of launching a presidential initiative that majorities can gather around, hoping to break through the wall surrounding the presidential entitlement."
