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MP Mark Daou confirmed on Friday that the opposition “firmly” supports the candidacy of former minister Jihad Azour, adding that the candidate can secure 65 votes if a second round is held.
In an interview with Voice of All Lebanon radio, Daou stressed the importance of holding the second round of presidential elections.
He said that the so-called “dialogue” requested by Hezbollah and the Amal Movement “is an excuse for the Shiite duo to evade the second round of the election and block the country in order to govern alone and have a hold on the government and the presidency.”
Daou’s statement follows a communiqué issued on Thursday evening by the “opposition forces” in which they called on all political parties to rally around Azour’s candidacy. They underlined that Azour “is the candidate that the opposition plans to support for the presidency in order launch the salvation process and reinvigorate state institutions.”
The communiqué indicated that “the electoral session (on June 14) showed that the majority of the representatives of the Lebanese people reject the candidate imposed by the Mumanaa (Hezbollah and Amal), who, despite efforts and pressure, received only 51 votes versus 77 MPs who voted against him.”
“Moreover, 59 parliamentarians voted for centrist candidate Jihad Azour, around whom various blocs converged in order to break the deadlock,” the communiqué added.
It also read: “Had a second round taken place, we would have a president today, because a number of MPs and blocs had clearly announced their intention to vote for Azour in the second round.”
The statement was signed by 31 opposition MPs from the Lebanese Forces, Kataeb and Renewal blocs, as well as independents and Change MPs.
