Former President Michel Aoun’s visit to Syria on Tuesday came as a surprise to all political parties today.
The visit is his first since 2009 and comes at a time when Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has called for an election session to be held on June 14 and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) chief, Gebran Bassil, has announced its support for the opposition candidate, former minister Jihad Azour.
Lebanon has been in a state of presidential vacuum since the end of Aoun’s term on Oct. 31, 2022.
Two candidates will face off in the election: former minister Sleiman Frangieh, backed by the Amal-Hezbollah duo, and Jihad Azour, a former minister of finance and current regional director for the Middle East and Central Asia in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), backed by the opposition parties and the Free Patriotic Movement.
The former president’s meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad will probably focus on the presidential election.
According to a parliamentary source close to the sovereignist opposition, this visit is part of the efforts by MP Gebran Bassil to twist the arms of the Iranians (and therefore Hizbollah) through the Syrians. Bassil rejects Hizbollah-backed Frangieh’s candidacy, and today’s visit could allow the FPM leader to shed his alliance with Hizbollah without crossing the point of no return with his Shiite ally.
One of Bassil’s strengths comes from the Mar Mikhael agreement signed in 2006 by his father-in-law with Hizbollah. Nor should we forget the internal dissensions within the FPM itself, which gained momentum with Bassil’s decision to support Jihad Azour’s candidacy.
Bassil is therefore short of allies and cannot afford a definitive break with Hizbollah, hence the idea that today’s visit to Damascus could pave the way for an honorable way out for all the above-mentioned parties, with Damascus’ blessing.
Another parliamentary source pointed out that Aoun’s visit had been planned for some time and was not linked to recent developments.
In a talk with This is Beirut, MP Ghassan Atallah said that the visit had been on Aoun’s schedule for a while but was not promoted.
Atallah denied the fact that Aoun’s visit was aimed at patching up the relationship with Hizbollah after the FPM formally endorsed Azour’s candidacy against Frangieh.
Atallah added that the main talking point on Aoun’s agenda is the Syrian refugees’ return to Syria.
When contacted by This is Beirut, the FPM’s communications office declined to comment on Aoun’s visit to Damascus, saying it had no information on the matter. We were equally unable to reach the former president’s press office.
The Syrian presidency later issued a statement detailing Aoun’s visit.
“Lebanon’s strength is in its political and economic stability… which reflects in Syria’s benefit as well,” Syrian President Bashar Assad said.
“General Aoun played a major role in preserving the brotherly ties between Syria and Lebanon,” Assad added.
On his end, Aoun reiterated that the Lebanese are sticking by their national solidarity despite all the difficulties and that Syria overcame its tough and dangerous phase.
