Member of the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc MP Wael Bou Faour declared that former Minister Jihad Azour’s candidacy may be announced by Saturday.
“Jihad Azour is a respected figure and a brilliant economist who has ideas to solve the crisis, and we consider him a non-confrontational figure. I don’t believe that when he was the Minister of Finance, he was accused of corruption. We were the first to suggest his name, and there will be a forthcoming meeting of the PSP bloc to announce our position,” indicated Bou Faour. “To this moment, there is no clear idea of the number of MPs who may support Azour, but Sami Gemayel and Michel Mouawad played a significant role in reaching a consensus on his name,” he revealed in an interview with local TV station LBCI.
The Progressive Socialist Party MP also highlighted that Speaker Nabih Berri is in no rush to call on MPs to convene for an electoral session, as the political situation remains unclear. “What Berri said about Azour makes sense since he is committed to backing his candidate, Sleiman Frangieh. This is why I doubt that the Speaker will call for an electoral session that will lead to uncertain results because the situation in the country does not tolerate such a parliamentary session,” he said. “Nevertheless, we have a good relationship with Berri, and he has never tried to push us toward a certain candidate.”
Broaching the subject of the warning issued by current US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf and her predecessor David Schenker in case of further political deadlock, Bou Faour stressed that there is a message from the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States to impose sanctions on anyone who refuses to elect a president, “although the threat of sanctions may expedite the election process,” he remarked.
As for the timing of Walid Joumblatt’s resignation from the presidency of the Progressive Socialist Party, the MP clarified that Joumblatt did not resign due to Syria’s return to the Arab League. “Walid Joumblatt is a modern man who rejects stagnation. At the beginning of the Arab revolutions, he decided to resign because he anticipated the forthcoming change. He is resigning now because there is an internal need within the party for a youthful spirit, in addition to the upcoming presidential election. He has become more confident in this step because his son Taymour has succeeded in the tasks assigned to him. In addition, Taymour has fresh ideas, and no one dictates his foreign positions. There is complete trust in him and his choices, and he represents the Lebanese youth who hope for change,” he noted.
Concerning the Syrian refugee dossier, Bou Faour stated that the state has abandoned its responsibilities in handling this issue. “There is no unified plan, so we need to implement unified management and direct assistance and re-establish understanding with international organizations vis-à-vis the issue of displacement,” he concluded.