The Speaker of the Lebanese Chamber of Deputies, Nabih Berri, plans to convene a roundtable discussion involving representatives from all parliamentary factions. This meeting is scheduled in advance of the upcoming presidential election in the country, a position that has remained vacant since October 31 of the previous year.
"This dialogue is set to commence in the early days of October and will span one week. Following this, we will conduct a parliamentary vote at the Palace of Parliament located at Place de l'Étoile," he stated in a message posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Berri stated that he and Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab would oversee the meetings. He emphasized the need for careful planning to ensure the upcoming discussions are productive and aid in resolving the political deadlock. He expressed disappointment at the swift rejection of his initiative by opposition factions.
On September 1, the parliamentary speaker urged deputies to reach a consensus on a presidential candidate during the dialogue.
Berri also confirmed a scheduled meeting with Sheikh Abu Fahd Jassem Al-Thani, the special envoy of the Emir of Qatar, who arrived in Beirut on a mediation mission to assist in resolving the political crisis.
Furthermore, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French President's special envoy for the Lebanese settlement, offered his services to facilitate dialogue during his visit to Lebanon from September 12 to 15, endorsing Speaker Berri's initiative.
Doha deal
In 2008, France and Qatar collaborated to broker an agreement among Lebanese leaders in Doha, effectively ending the prolonged political crisis that had persisted since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. This landmark accord, known as the Doha deal, paved the way for presidential elections and resulted in the election of former Lebanese army commander Michel Suleiman as the country's president.
Amid Lebanon's ongoing political turmoil and the paralysis of its state institutions, one potential solution to the current crisis may involve electing a neutral figure to the highest state office, as reported by Al Nahar newspaper. According to their information, General Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese army, is considered the most viable consensus candidate.
General Aoun, however, mentioned during a meeting with a delegation of syndicated editors on September 18 that no one has approached him to discuss a presidential candidacy. He emphasized that the army's top priority remains maintaining security, particularly given the challenges posed by the ongoing influx of refugees from Syria and conflicts within Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon.
On June 14, members of Lebanon's parliament failed to elect a new president in the twelfth round of voting. None of the presidential candidates managed to secure the required support of 65 out of the 128 lawmakers needed to win the presidential election.
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Based on materials from TASS