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French President Emmanuel Macron’s personal representative for Lebanon, Jean-Yves le Drian, has been meeting with rival Lebanese politicians since arriving in Beirut on Tuesday, July 25, in the framework of his second mission aimed at reconciling stances to break the presidential deadlock.
According to some parties he met, Le Drian proposed new consultations between Lebanese leaders next September, to be followed by open parliament sessions until the election of a President of the Republic.
The French emissary met, on Wednesday, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gebran Bassil, in his home in Bayada, in the presence of French Ambassador to Lebanon, Anne Grillo, and MP Nada Boustani.
A press release published by the FPM’s information office described the meeting as “frank and positive.” It said the French emissary “advanced a new proposal, supported by the five-nation group who recently met in Doha.”
Under the proposal, “Le Drian would return to Lebanon in September for short consultations aimed at forging a plan for Lebanon, leading to the selection of a presidential candidate capable of fulfilling the mission.”
“Successive parliamentary sessions would then be held until the election of a new Head of State”, the statement said, adding that the FPM leader “is in favor of this proposal which constitutes a new approach to the presidential election.”
Frangieh
Le Drian also met Marada leader and Hezbollah-backed presidential candidate Sleiman Frangieh at the Beirut residence of his son, MP Tony Frangieh. Present at the meeting were Grillo and former minister Roni Araiji.
According to Frangieh’s press office, “the meeting, during which all current issues were discussed, was cordial and positive.” “Ideas and possible solutions to pull the country out of the presidential crisis were also exchanged,” a statement read.
Geagea
Le Drian then headed to Meerab, where he met the leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea. MPs Pierre Bou Assi and Georges Okais, as well as former minister Richard Kouyoumjian also took part in the meeting, along with the French ambassador.
Following the meeting, Geagea declared that “discussions focused on substantive issues, far from official language.”
“It was a good meeting. We did not discuss any other name than that of our candidate (former minister Jihad Azour). We have not taken any decision about the consultations that Mr. Le Drian is proposing (in September). It is the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri who is blocking Parliament, whose task is to elect a President of the Republic.”
Le Drian is not expected to meet with Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, who was informed by Ambassador Grillo that the emissary’s schedule “will be limited to meetings with the personalities directly concerned by the presidential election.”
Upon his arrival on Tuesday, Le Drian met parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. He then met the leader of the Kataeb party, Samy Gemayel, the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, Teymour Joumblatt and the president of the Independence Movement and former presidential candidate, Michel Moawad, at the Résidence des Pins, the residence of French ambassadors.
His visit, which comes nine days after the meeting of the Group of Five (France, United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt) in Doha, is scheduled to end on Thursday.
During his first visit to Lebanon from June 21 to 24, Le Drian held talks with various political, religious and military leaders.
