MP Marwan Hamadeh, a member of the Democratic Gathering Bloc, indicated on Tuesday, June 20, that Jean-Yves Le Drian, French President Emmanuel Macron’s new special envoy for Lebanon, is unlikely to bring forth any specific proposal. Instead, he opined, he will adopt a French approach aligned with the Saudi proposal and focused on a program rather than a presidential candidate.
In an interview with the “Voice of Lebanon,” Hamadeh clarified that Le Drian will base his approach on recent developments, including the Christian unity on the one hand and the Shiite intransigence as far as the candidate Sleiman Frangieh is concerned on the other.
He also noted that the Democratic Gathering Bloc is open to discussing alternative names beyond those initially proposed.
Hamadeh said that it was not out of pure coincidence that Le Drian held meetings with ambassadors of the five countries (United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar), [of] other Arab states and Iran along with the acting Syrian representative.
Knowing that Le Drian is also scheduled to meet with parliamentary bloc leaders and presidential candidates, Hamadeh questioned whether General Joseph Aoun, whose popularity has recently increased, will attend those meetings while holding the position of Army Commander.
He also brought up the issue of Jihad Azour, a presidential candidate who left Lebanon until further notice due to advice related to concerns over his personal security.
As for security and stability, Hamadeh underscored the significance of the army’s presence, highlighting the importance of military formations, and said, “There might be suggestions to extend Aoun’s term. Otherwise, a new chief of staff must be appointed as stipulated by the Defense Law.”
